Normality Within the Anarchy
by Kate of Carlay
Summary: As the divisions arise in the FAYZ, more people are forced to choose. A con man trying to get too big, a druggie trying to make that an ex', the perfect boytrying not to fall apart, and siblings trying not to be rivals. Is it really just a FAYZ?POSTPLAUGE
1. Chapter 1

**This story picks up after my other Gone short story, Normality Within the Anamolous, and you'll probably have to read that to get ready for this. Anyway, this is a bit of a tidbit of what is happening to normal kids, not involved with the big battles and what not between Plague and Fear. No fear spoilers, but major Plague ones.**

**I do not own anything you recognize from Grant.**

**_Chapter 1_**

"Long live the King!" Jace whooped from his place at the head of the table.

"Caine! Caine! Caine!" The cheering crowd broke into a chant as teenagers all cried out. "Caine! Caine! Caine!"

Drinks were coming from the kitchen by girls holding up trays laden with gallon jugs of alcohol. A game of cards had been broken up earlier when Jace decided to have this speech.

"Those bugs came and who defeated them?" Jace yelled out to all of the people in his Casino.

"Caine!" the crowd cried out.

"Who will fix the FAYZ?" Jace's blue eyes scanned the crowd watching the reactions of the others.

"Caine!"

"Who has come to save Perdido Beach?"

The crowd reacted as expected. "Caine!"

Jace held his glass up in the air like a toast. "Long live the King!"

"Caine! Caine! Caine!"

Jace smiled as girls poured drinks into glasses and set plates of jerky and melon cubes out on a table. Everything was falling into place perfectly for him.

"Hate to be the person to break up all this fun but…" Crissy murmured as she leaned over Jace's shoulder and kissed his neck. She held out a few papers in front of him. "We shouldn't putting out all this food for these losers, we can't afford it."

"Did you figure in the cover charges for tonight?" Jace whispered back.

"Of course." His girlfriend scowled. "Either you call in a few of these guys on their loans or we don't eat for two days."

"I'll talk to Dwight about a few of them; he can take care of it. Until then, write up a few bills for these guys, tell the girls we have to pull some of their tips because we know they're trying to steal some of the jerky." Jace saw Crissy's confused look and vaguely waved his hand at one girl. "Under the back of her shirt."

"How did you—"

"Don't worry about it, babe." Jace winked. "Just see to those bills would you? I'm going to need a full wallet to take care of my business with the Jacks, especially if I have to go all the way out to that lake."

"They didn't leave town with Sam," Crissy explained. "My friend down in the water boilers told me Aerik and Nikki just dropped off a load of wood this morning."

Crissy huffed and walked back to the master bedroom of the house where she had set up like an office and store room for the Casino. Jace ignored her.

"Ace, nice turn out tonight," Mercedes said using his nickname. Her dark black hair fell over her shoulders in loose waves and her brown eyes peeked out from behind her bangs. Her legs crossed as she sat in his lap. "Where's Crissy?"

Jace smiled. "She's busy with work. But yeah, nice turn out. Where's Dwight?"

Mercedes flapped a hand and rolled her eyes. "How am I supposed to know?"

"He follows you like a lost puppy," Jace pointed out. "Find 'im for me would y'? I need him."

Mercedes didn't let more than a momentary scowl touch her pretty face. "Of course, Ace. Can I get you something while I'm out."

"I'm good thanks." Jace nodded to her and went back to watching the teenagers drinking and handing over money and food to keep drinking.

It didn't take long for the mexican girl to bring Dwight back to Jace. Dwight's tall body and long limbs were nimble if somewhat gangly. He seemed like a boy who would have looked strong if the days of hunger hadn't hit the FAYZ. He angrily shoved his long brown hair away from his face and saw Jace's cool blue eyes watching him.

"It gets in my way," Dwight, Jace's friend and right hand man, explained. "What did you need?"

"I need you to pull some people out to the garage." Jace didn't even bother looking at Dwight when he saw the taller boy's shoulders droop. "Collect on some loans. Take the ones you know can pay, threaten the ones that can't. Get the ones that can first so the ones that can't don't get sketchy when we send people out of here with broken fingers."

Dwight nodded. "Any in particular?"

"Use your judgment on who you think can pay. Crissy has a list on who owes what." Jace nodded and slapped Dwight on the shoulder. "You're my man, Dwight."

**~x~X~x~**

Will paced around his house. He had developed a routine of it since Demi had gotten sick. Make sure the dead bolts and chains are on the front and back doors. Look in on Demi. Check all the windows he had boarded up. Take Demi's temperature. See if Max was alright in his makeshift cage in Demi's room. Go check what he had left in food stores. Wipe down Demi's forehead with cool water. Go check the water stills he had made in the back yard. Try to get Demi to drink some of the cabbage and fish soup he made.

The biggest change he had in all of his routines for the day was visiting the slit trench on the side of the house or attempting to sleep. Even then all he did was sleep for an hour and check on Demi's raging fever and rasping cough.

If Demi had been feeling better Will would have taken his brother to the lake with Sam's people but their house was in Perdido Beach and Demi couldn't travel yet.

Will's hard green eyes stared at the medicine cabinet in his parent's old bathroom. There were three bottles of prescription strength medicine left. The next to go would be the old sleeping pills the doctors had given his father two weeks before the FAYZ. H could get quite a high price for those, the trick was finding someone to buy them. He couldn't sell to Jace anymore and the guy Howard had left town with Sam. That left Kristos; the one boy that had betrayed Will and who Will had also betrayed.

If Will could find Kris again, he would sell the pills to people for food or water for Will, with a fee of course, but it was all worth it.

"Will?" Demi's hoarse voice was a rare thing anymore between fits of coughing the Will jumped at the slightest murmur from the eight year old boy.

"Hey big guy, how you doing?" Will knelt my his younger brother's bed. There was more stress in the hard green eyes of the thirteen year old boy than there should be.

"Max?"

Will sighed, this was all Demi did anymore. He was asking for their mom or their dad or Max. He could never say 'Will I'm better, let's go play baseball' or 'Will I'm not coughing anymore' it was just the sounds of a sick boy. "He's right here, big guy." Will placed Max on the bed nex to Demi's side. "You want some soup?"

Demi just shook his head as his little fingers rubbed his rabbit's soft white fur.

Demi would get better, Will knew it. He just had to.

**~x~X~x~**

Kristos was sprawled out on the bed he had claimed as his own. The little sharpie marker he had left a blue streak across his cheek and would have been comical if it wasn't from the high he got from inhaling the fumes of markers and paint.

"Kris?" called a voice from outside his little world of foggy senses. "Kristos? Kris!" snapped a sharp voice.

"I thought you told me you would lay off this stuff, Kris. I'm trying to be a friend for you but this isn't any good for you." A girl took the marker out of his hand, he tried to claw at it but she stuffed it in her pocket and slapped his hand away. "Knock it off Kris."

Jean's dark hair bobbed as she bent over the edge of the bed. Her blue eyes were more scrutinizing than nice when she looked at him. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him to his feet. "We're going to pick some of those artichokes, right now, not tomorrow, Kris. Let's go."

Kris mumbled some incoherent nonsense.

"That's it." Jean opened up a plastic bag and held it under Kris' nose.

The smell of the old, rotting blue bats cut through his grogginess faster than any smelling salt could have. "Good God! What was that for?" he snapped.

"We're going to pick artichokes unless you want to go hungry." Jean stood up and sealed the bag. "Hurry up because after sunrise someone will see us and might say we're stealing them. Now move."

Her narrow body slipped out of the room and left Kris blinking hard trying to regain complete focus before he followed her.

**~x~X~x~**

Athene came down the stairs when she heard the front door open. Her once heavy form was silent as she walked down the steps, her dark red hair was braided back and her brown eyes were bright. She sighed as she watched her twin brother, Aerik, pull Nikki down on to the couch as he leaned forward to kiss her. Nikki's brown ponytail swung down over her shoulder.

"Do you two mind?" Athene scowled as she sat down on the chair across from them and kicked her feet up on the arm. "What's the news since no one let me out the house all this time?"

Nikki rolled her gray eyes but pulled away from Aerik. "Turns out you weren't hallucinating when you saw the giant roaches and you're lucky you're on the mend."

Aerik watched his sister carefully. "The flu that has been going around has been killing people. No new people have gotten it, but most people that caught the tail end of it are getting better."

"My friend down at the grill told me those roaches that attacked were some monsters led by Drake, he escaped, and the monster thing that Sam tried killing. Then get this, this is the best part." Nikki snorted. "Caine's back. Since he killed the roaches, Caine has declared himself the king."

"What about Sam and the council?" Athene jumped to her feet. "Aren't they going to do anything?"

"They already did," Aerik told his sister.

"Sam and a bunch of kids except the fishermen and Albert left for a big lake up by the Stefano to start like a colony with Nutella and Ramen." Nikki shrugged. "Caine says he's going to take care of everyone in town still."

"What? Why don't we start packing now before things get too bad." Athene got to her feet, her mind starting to figure out everything they would need to move.

"I don't think we should leave." Aerik looked at Nikki. "We thought it might be alright here. I mean Albert is still in business, we can still sell wood. We'll be fine, who really cares?"

"I do. I'm not living under some king." Athene was on her feet, angry. "You shouldn't either Aerik. We would do even better up at the lake. We can hunt and fish. More kids will be needing firewood now. We have plenty of camping supplies and the kayaks. We have enough gas to haul our camp trailer out there with the truck. We've been to the Marina at Tramonto before."

"Athene, it won't be that bad." Nikki went to place a hand on the other girl's shoulder but stopped herself as she remembered the thick spikes that could sprout from her hands. "Really if we just lay low and don't bother anyone it will be life like we have it now."

"You just barely got into this life," Athene snapped.

Aerik jumped to his feet. "Athene, this is nothing fight over. We're staying you do what you want!"

"Fine!" Athene stepped up so she was only a few inches away.

"Come on, Aerik. Athene." Nikki tried to push herself in between them but Athene shoved her to the couch.

"Stay out of this, Nikki." Athene's dark brown eyes never left her brother's. Even at fifteen the Jack twins were the same height, and while a lot of kids had gotten scrawny, Aerik and Athene had thick waists and were heavy set, both were intimidating forces.

"I'll be leaving soon," Athene told them. " I'm taking my stuff too. That includes the tent trailer and my kayak and my atv and my guns _and_ half the fuel."

"Go ahead. See if I care." Aerik shoved past his sister. "You sure you don't want to take the saws too?"

"I'm covered thanks." Spikes covered Athene's hands. "But I will be taking an axe. I'll be getting ready and leaving in the next few days."

Athene turned her back on her brother and his girlfriend and stormed back up to her room.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Author's Note: Thank to those who are reading this, but don't forget to hit the little review button, it doesn't take too much effort. _****_Big thanks to macrauchenia for being a great beta! _**

**_I don't own the FAYZ_**

**_REVIEW!_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter 2<em>**

As soon as Jace woke up he realized something was missing from his bed. He looked over his shoulder and Crissy was gone. His blond eyebrows came together as he began to get up. He reached high over his head and held of the top of the door frame, stretching out his lean, muscled body.

He was dressed in a pair of basketball shorts that began to slip over his hip bones so he tightened the drawstring. He walked to the other side of the house where Crissy had a made an office and a store room.

"Hey, babe—" The words died on his lips as he realized she was not there. All that Jace found was a locked box under the desk and an empty notebook on top.

Jace scowled but went to the den near the kitchen. It was a simple room with sliding glass doors that opened up onto the back porch and boring beige walls and wood floors. They had turned this room into a place for Dwight to sleep whenever they needed him and to act as Jace's personal guard.

"Dwight, man, you seen Crissy?" Jace asked but Dwight wasn't in his bed either. "What the hell?" he mumbled to himself as he went out the back door.

He went to the fence where a few planks had been torn out to provide an easy way to get to the house where the guards slept. In one corner of the guard's yard was a shed with windows were Sean did all his work of making alcohol in there. Jace slammed open the back door into the kitchen and saw one of his guards sitting on the counter eating a cabbage leaf with rat meat shredded up inside.

"You seen Dwight or Crissy?" Jace snapped.

"Dwight went to the market; the girls wanted him to get something set up in their house." The teenage boy took a bite of his food. "Crissy took a few guys and left, don't know where," he mumbled around a full mouth.

Jace didn't even answer; he turned on his heel and stormed out of the house. Anger was rolling his thoughts into vengeful ideas, but his thoughts broke easily as giggling rose up out of the other yard. It was the house next to his and the guards'. The girls' house.

Jace knew that this would be a good way to keep him busy today, so he sauntered over to the house where all the serving girls stayed. As soon as he passed through the hole in the fence, he knew he made the right decision.

Girls were lounging in lawn chairs across the back yard and dressed in skimpy bikinis. They had set out sliced cantaloupes for them to eat and if he ignored the dry, brittle grass in the yard it could almost look like a normal backyard party to him.

"Jace" called Mercedes as she waved him over from her lounging spot under the shade from the house. "What bring you here and dressed so appropriately at that?" The dark haired girl let her eyes drift over the length of his shirtless body.

Jace grinned as his blue eyes returned the favor and he looked over her body and purple halter top bikini. He made sure to raise his hand like he was pushing his hair back so that he could look through his fingers so that he could use his powers and see through the skimpy bikini material. "Just checking things out, you know."

"You know what we could really use here?" She sat up and motioned for him to take a seat on empty chair next to her.

"What's that?" Jace sat.

Mercedes smiled coyly as she sat in his lap and crossed her legs. "A pool."

Jace snorted. "Where am I going to get a pool in here?"

Mercedes wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her chest. She placed a kiss on cheek. "Think about it, we could get some sea water rolled up here in barrels. It'll be nice and cool."

Jace looked over a saw one of the guards coming through the fence. "Hey you, run to the market and find Dwight. Tell him to find one of those set up pools with the metal posts. Deep as he can find and get it get up in here. "

**~x~X~x~**

Will watched helplessly as Demi twisted in bed, wrapping himself in blankets as cold sweat dripped off his face. Demi could no longer hold onto Max. The little boy would thrash as coughing would wrack his poor body. Will had resorted to giving his little blanket that felt like rabbit fur whenever Demi begged for Max.

Will was getting to the point where he had no choice. Leaving his brother alone for the first time in who knows how long, he began to search his house for something to bribe with. He had traded all the drugs in his house, the food was for Demi, he didn't have any guns, and all he had was kitchen knives for weapons. Will looked through the stores of food he had and found little other than some water and old vegetables and a cantaloupe. He dug through empty cupboards finding nothing but old boxes and wrappers that had been emptied long ago.

Then he found a bottle in the back of his parents closest. He didn't want to trade this but he had no other option. A single dark bottle of wine from his parent's wedding would have to act as the delivery payment.

He took another trip to his room to find his old backpack and school stuff. He pulled out a plain number two pencil and began to write down his last shot at hope.

_Dear Nikki, _

_I need your help right away. Please. Aerik and Athene too if they'll come. Demi has gotten really bad. A fever, coughing, that stuff. Anything you could do will help me. You three are our only hope._

_Please,_

_Will_

Will took the note and found a kid who was more than willing to deliver the note to the Jack house in exchange for the wine bottle.

With that done, Will went to the dark room where he hovered over Demi and hoped Nikki and the Jacks would come soon with some miracle in tow.

**~x~X~x~**

Kris huddled behind a bush trying to pull out the marker he had stuck in his pocket.

"Kris?" Jean called out and Kris began to fumble even more. Finally the marker was free.

"Kris, give me that!" Jean tackled the scrawny kid, ripping the marker from his hands and dropping vegetables at the same time.

"It's mine!" Kris growled and shoved at her face with his nails.

Jean bit him and yanked the marker free. She jumped to her fee and stomped the marker into the ground, cracking the plastic casing, spilling the liquid. As the fluid was soaked into the dirt, she grabbed what was left of the inside with ink and threw it as far away as she could.

Kristos burst into tears as grabbed at the dirt. He cupped his hands around the dirt and tried to inhale it.

Jean's eyes flashed and she kicked him in the ribs, sending him flying backwards onto his back. "Look at you!"

"I need that," he cried. "I need that. It's all I have!" Kris started to shake, his trembling as he wrapped his arms around himself. "I don't have nothing now!"

Jean sat down on her knees next to him. He rocked back and forth, staring at the ink-stained ground. She looked him straight in the eye and wiped a smudge of dirt from his nose. "No, Kristos. You don't need that anymore."

"It's all I have, it's all I have," he mumbled into his arms. "Nothing else. Nothing."

Jean's face scrunched together. "You've got me," she whispered to his greasy black hair.

"I've got you?" Kris looked up, his eyes were red and he still looked like he was crying.

Jean couldn't help it; she laughed out loud and then laughed even harder at the look on Kris' face. "Yeah. 'Cause you got me, and baby, I got you."

"Babe?" He swallowed hard, still trying to decipher why she was laughing.

Jean nodded. "I got you babe, I got you babe," she sang again.

Kris finally joined her laughing, mixed with a few tears. "I got you babe."

**~x~X~x~**

It wasn't very often that Athene went to the market. She avoided it most the time and she hadn't been allowed by her "keepers" since she had been sick. She wasn't sure is if it was her imagination or what, but it seemed like there were less people roaming the streets. She didn't mind it. She tried staying away from most people, but there were still some things she wanted. The hardware store wasn't completely bare; it still had some things in it, things like nails and screws. Athene knew that the most important things in life were the things you over looked.

She went into the wreckage of the store, no one really paying much attention to her outside. Most of the buckets were gone, but a couple five gallon ones were still there, of which she took two. She filled buckets with nails and screws, lengths of rope, glue, and duct tape plus any type of building material she could find and fit into her buckets or tie on her belt with plastic bags.

While she was tying a rope of tape rolls together, she heard someone come in and hid behind a rack, trying to see who it was.

"Of all the damned things to send me for, a pool? Just one more thing to take care of," said the tall boy.

Athene stepped out scales rippling up her arms. "What are you doing here?"

Dwight jumped back, she was right in front of him, her scales out and her brown eyes were angry. "Sorry," he said shoving his hair back. "I'm not here for trouble. I'm looking for a pool."

"A pool?" Athene scowled at him.

Dwight's normally calm composure melted off. "Yes, a pool for who knows what God damned reason. Jace decided he wants a pool. Next I'll be carrying water up from the ocean and bowing to two kings instead of one."

"Sorry, I didn't know." Athene stepped back, intending to just leave and ignore the outburst.

"No, I'm sorry." Dwight shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm really sorry. I've been with Jace since this started. And he's…something else. I wanted to go to the lake, he tells me to stay. He tells me to break fingers, he tells me fetch a pool, and he tells me to shoot at people." His voice trailed off. "You weren't hurt when you were shot, were you?"

Athene shook her head showing him the scales across her palms as they retreated. "They're handy. You're not a freak are you?"

"No, but sometimes I wish I was." Dwight gave her a half smile. "I would like to start out fresh with you." He stuck out his hand. "I'm Dwight."

"Athene." She returned the grip. "I'd like to forget about the whole shoot out thing too. It wasn't even our fight you know."

"We just get sucked in, protecting the ones who start the mess."

"Loyalties are a real drag," she chuckled and looked back at her things. "I should get going."

"You want some help?" he asked suddenly. "I can get a wagon, pull the pool in it, and help carry stuff."

Athene regarded him with a steady eye. He wasn't who she would think he would be when they first saw each other. He wasn't malicious and cruel; he was a follower, protecting his friend. "I'd like that."

Together they pulled a big pool off the shelves and loaded it into a wagon. Athene helped him strap more building supplies onto the wagon until they finally moved out.

"You look like you're trying to start anew," Dwight huffed as he tugged at the wagon handle. "Are you going to the lake with your brother and his girlfriend?"

The words made Athene flinched. "No. They want to stay here. They're too wrapped up in themselves to worry about living in a monarchy."

Dwight shook his head. "Almost as bad as Jace—Ace is what most people call him. He's happy having girls throw themselves at him, guys beg him for everything, and he thinks he's got it made so he won't leave. His girl, Crissy, tried convincing him to go to the lake, but now she basically runs everything so she doesn't want to go either. Fun being the third wheel, huh?" he asked sarcastically.

Athene laughed. "Let me tell you. I have to creep around my own house so I don't bother them and Nikki's afraid of freaks to top it off."

"I have to act as a live-in bodyguard for Jace." Dwight chuckled. "He slams into my room to wake me up if he needs someone to walk him to the trench to take a leak."

"Seriously?"

"He's worse than a little."

"Unbelievable." Athene shifted the bag on her shoulders.

Dwight looked up ahead at the little compound. "I'm surprised he hasn't gotten the idea to call himself a duke and march into Caine's 'court' yet."

Athene got an odd look on her face as she looked at the make shift barricade of parked cars. "That would be something."

"Wait here." Dwight took the bags off the wagon. "I'm going to drop this off and rush back, let me walk you home."

Before Athene could reply, he dashed off with the wagon in tow, his long legs making quick work of the jog, before long he was back with an empty wagon.

"Let's move out." He smiled as he helped her unload most the bags of building supplies into the wagon and head off towards the Jack house.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Author's Note: Thank to those who are reading this, but don't forget to hit the little review button, it doesn't take too much effort. _****_Big thanks to macrauchenia for being a great beta! _**

**_PLease be sure to review, I hate seeing 35 hits and visitors and not a single review, if you like it great, let me know, if not tell me why you hated it :D_**

**_I don't own the FAYZ_**

**_REVIEW!_**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Crissy moved through the crowd of boys as she glared down at one in particular. "So how were you planning on paying up?" She neatly cleaned under her nails with a pocket knife.

"I-I-I don't know," the scrawny boy mumbled as his head twitched.

"You look like you're high," growled a teenage boy standing next to Crissy. His curly red hair dripped into his green eyes as he sniffed. "What are y' doing getting high when you owe the nice lady money?"

"Oh please, Marshall. Don't frighten the poor thing." Crissy sighed like this was causing her pain. "I could cut off a finger or two and sell them maybe. Would you hand me my knife, Marshall?"

The moment the burly boy reached for a blade in his belt, the scrawny kid fell at Crissy's feet, beginning to beg. "No, please! I have money and bullets in my house. Take me there and I'll give them to you, please."

Crissy put a thoughtful expression on her innocent looking face. "But I've had to go without my money for some time now…"

"Interest…I'll pay interest too!" he told her.

"Fine, if it means that much to you. Marshall, be a dear and send two of your strapping men to help him home and bring back the money please." Crissy turned to walk away.

Marshall caught up to her with four other guys at his back carrying weapons of some sort, and more strapped to their backs. "They'll be back to you in no time."

"Wonderful." Crissy was headed straight for the casino she ran. "Now I just have to see which slut Jace is screwing before I get to work on other matters."

Crissy felt Marshall stare at her for a moment. "I've heard the guys saying Mercedes has been hoping…" he admitted

"I know that, Marshall." Crissy wrapped her arm through his. "The problem is catching him in the act so I can punish him properly."

When they made it to the casino compound, Jace was nowhere inside the house he shared with Crissy. As she went to her make shift office, she crossed a name off a list of people owing money to the casino on the wall.

"A few more and we will be booming again." She took her pen and tossed it on the desk. "From now on I want you sleeping on the couch here. Jace has Dwight; I'll have you on hand."

She nodded once and heard yells coming from the back yard. Her eyes widened when Marshall grabbed a machete on the back of his belt and went to shut the door.

"No," she commanded. "If something's wrong, I have to deal with it. Let's go." Crissy pulled out a pistol and followed Marshall out to the back of the house where the guard house and the girls' house were.

Jace and three other guys were whooping as a ring of girls formed around them, and a pool. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" Jace grabbed a dark skinned girl and kissed her full on the mouth. "How's that, babe?"

"Maravillosa de mi galan," Mercedes told him.

Marshall cleared his throat and Jace turned around.

"Where the hell have you been?" Ace demanded. "I needed the guys for some work and they were gone. You don't need half a dozen for your shopping trips."

"I don't think we need to be discussing this in front of everyone, Ace," Crissy said sharply.

"The hell we don't. First you're missing, then Dwight." Jace flipped his hand in the air. "At least he left the pool like I asked. You just take my guys and go. Where have you been? You guys go start getting ready to go to the beach and fill up on water. We have old gas cans and a couple of fifty gallon barrels already."

"All of you stay," Crissy commanded.

"I give the orders and I say go." Jace scowled at Crissy's turn in behavior.

Crissy stepped forward, Marshall was right beside her. "I've been gone all morning collecting on loans that you made so that you could pay these people and not be blaming them for every loss. Thanks to me, we all eat tonight."

Murmurs started to pick up around Jace. The boy jerked his head. "I run this place; you wouldn't win half as much without me."

"You wouldn't have anything to bet without me. I'll keep you around, but I run this place now." Crissy looked at the boys already helping Jace."You keep helping him. Girls, you have some work to do to. You don't just sit around to look pretty. Let's go, Marshall."

Crissy turned to walk away and ignore the boiling fury building up in Jace's face.

"You're not living in my house anymore!" Ace screamed at her.

Crissy calmly turned around. "You're right. It's mine now. Marshall will help you get your stuff out after you fill that pool. Dwight can stay if he wants though, but he'll be sleeping on the couch. Marshall needs a room."

Crissy turned her back on him and left him there, fuming. Everyone stared and didn't say a word. "Get to work, all of you!" Jace shoved pass the gaping Mercedes towards to barrels and buckets. He saw the tall dark hair figure of Dwight coming through the gate. He ignored the dark look in the taller boy's face and the straight line across his mouth. "And where the hell have _you_ been?"

**~x~X~x~**

Will could barely move while he stared down at his baby brother. They had come, just like asked them to.

Aerik and Athene stayed away from each other, some darkness between the twins that they didn't want to share with the world. Nikki stayed away from Athene, almost like she was afraid of the girl. They came though. Nikki carried precious medicine, Aerik had bundles of food, and Athene carried the burden of jugs of water. It was dangerous to go through town like that, but they did.

They weren't carrying a miracle though.

Athene checked Demi over. She had been sick too and recovered, but others hadn't. She gripped his shoulders when she sat him down on the couch and told him the news. The truth of it hit him in the pit of his stomach and forced itself, along with anything he had eaten that day, up and onto the floor. They couldn't do anything; medicine didn't work on it, she explained. From what Nikki and Aerik had heard about other kids, the truth was right there in their faces.

They offered to take the boys with them up to their house. Offered to feed them and care for them both. Will yelled at them and told them they didn't know what they what talking about. He ran them out of the house, telling them he would make his brother better. Aerik and Nikki ran away from him. Athene stood her ground, begging to let them help. She refused to budge, she was like a rock, solid and steady and unflinching.

He pushed her away though and wished he hadn't.

He could do nothing else as watched the shallow little breaths making his brother's chest, rise and fall. Rise and fall. Rise and fall.

Demi was going to die and he knew it, but couldn't believe it.

**~x~X~x~**

Kris trembled as Jean held his hand and towed him back to the house where they lived, a bag of artichokes were strapped to her back.

Kris pulled away when a few kids saw him and he took off into their house. Jean scowled but followed.

"Kristos, where are you?" she called. She found him in the room that he claimed as his own. His legs were crossed on his bed as he stared down at a box of paints and markers. "Kris?" She leaned in, her dark black hair falling around her face as she stared him.

"Take them," he mumbled and pushed the box towards her. "Take them all. Hide them, please, Jean."

She nodded slowly and took the box and went out to the room she slept in. There was loose board in the floor next to the bed that she could just slide the little kids shoe box under. She looked into the mirror that was leaning on a dresser. She saw her own dark blue eyes and the gray under them from listening to Kris tossing in his bed at night. Trying to sleep. She bit her lower lip as she turned to go back to the other room. She didn't have to do this.

She could do a million other things rather than fix a druggie. She worked with them though; she was fourteen and before the FAYZ, she was a good girl. She helped people by acting as a peer councilor. Then, when they started running out of food, she did…it. She couldn't even bare to think about what she did. She needed food, and it was her salvation. When she found other ways to get food, she stopped, but the thought still ate at the back of her mind and made her have to do something to make up for it. If it meant fixing this little screw up, so be it. Kristos could be her salvation, or his own damnation. She just had to try.

"Kris?" she walked back into the room and found him on the bed in a fetal position, crying.

His eyes were wild again when he looked up at her. "Leave me alone," he wailed. "Just go away."

She grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands away from clawing at his own hair. "I'm not leaving, Kris. Kris, focus on me."

"I can't stop thinking about it." He looked up at her, licking his lips. "I can't stop. I can't. I need it. I need something."

She pulled him closer to her and rocked him like a child. "No, you don't, Kris. Focus on me."

"_I can't focus_!" He grabbed her shoulders like he needed an anchor to this Earth. "I need something to deal with it." He grabbed her and intertwined their fingers. "I lost it a long time ago. I needed something to handle it. Huffing was how I handled it. Nothing makes me feel good. People hate me, you hate me. Everyone hates me. That's why my parents poofed. They hated me!"

"Don't talk like that, Kris." She didn't let go of his hands as she tried to figure out how to handle him. "No one hates you."

"You do!" he snapped. "You hate me!"

"No, I don't," she explained.

Kris started to pull his hands out of hers, shaking his head. "I know you do, you hate me. I'm a slime ball."

"I do not hate you, Kristos."

"Then why are you yelling at me?" he growled at her. "You hate me, and I can prove it!"

"I don't hate you!" she yelled back.

Kris jerked his head out and kissed her. Jean shoved him back as she fell backwards. Shock registered throughout her mind. This wasn't how she was wanted to fix him.

Kris fell onto his pillow. He knew she hated him. His mind was half gone from the drugs and the FAYZ and everything else trying to tear him apart. He looked out for himself for so long, trying to stop his one true vice was ripping his head apart. Jean was nice, and helpful and a little wrong all at once and he wanted her to like him. He was stuck in his head grasping at threads of what was going on around him. When he grabbed at one, he threw himself at her and she threw him back.

"I told you that you hated me," he mumbled as he started to withdraw back into himself taking his trembling hands and tremors in stride. "You hate me."

Jean's black eyebrows came together as she climbed up onto her knees. She looked angry as came closer and looked like she was about to hit him. Kris flinch as her hand swung towards him and grabbed his shirt. Then she crushed her lips to his and made his world spin.

**~x~X~x~**

Aerik flopped onto his couch next to Nikki. "I can't believe it."

"I know. He's just a little kid." His girlfriend tucked her legs underneath herself as she leaned on his shoulder. "Will won't let us do anything that we can and we can't fix him. Do you really think Demi's going to…you know?"

Aerik swallowed hard and shrugged. "At least Caine has things under control. No more plagues, food is coming in faster, and the Human Crew hasn't caused us any trouble. What's left of them, anyway."

"We wouldn't have to worry about the Human Crew anyway. We're normal." Nikki ignored thee hard line his lips made. "Athene hides it," she amended.

Almost as if the sound of her name brought life to the person, Athene came stomping down the stairs with two big duffle bags over her shoulders and a box in her arms.

"What are you doing?" Aerik demanded. "You know you're not really leaving?"

Athene glared at him over the box in her arms. "I'm sure not staying here. I will not live under a king or be told what to do. I'm leaving for the lake. We went over this already."

"Athene, you don't want to do that." Nikki scowled as the other girl headed out the back. "Aerik, can you talk to her?"

Aerik sighed and got his feet to follow her outside. "This is ridiculous, Athene."

"What?" She dropped her box on the brittle grass and turned on him. "That I'm deciding to do what I want or you're letting Nikki tell you what to do."

"She is not!"

Athene shoved him back a step so she could grab her box again. "Sure, and I'm the queen of England."

Aerik glared as he watched her load her bags onto the front of the tent trailer their family owned. They had a bigger fifth wheel trailer, but she wasn't going to take the truck to haul it and leave him here with nothing. Bundles of gun cases and big compound bow case were already strapped down, along with tools and other supplies. The ball on her ATV was already hooked onto the trailer.

"And when do you think you're leaving, Athene Jack?"

She didn't even cast a second look at him. "As soon as I'm ready. I'm going down to the highway tonight to see if I can get some solar panels off the signs."

"And if freak haters are around?"

She shrugged.

"You'll get killed."

"And you'll be all toasty cuddled up to Nikki."

Aerik's fists clenched. "What about that guy that was with you today?"

Athene dropped the tie downs she was working on. "Dwight has nothing to do with this. He was helping me carry things up here. So just back off and go back to your make out sessions!"

"Yeah, maybe I will!" Aerik's teeth ground together. "I can do that because I don't bitch so much that people can't stand to be around me!"

He ignored any retort or sour look she had for him as he stormed into the house.

"Aerik?" Nikki was in the hall waiting. "What's going on?"

"Never mind her," he growled and kissed her. "I don't care what she does or where she goes."

"Don't do this to her, Aerik." Nikki grabbed his hand and looked up into his angry brown eyes. "You need to calm down and make amends. This is no good for anyone."

"No, she doesn't care about anyone but herself."

"We need to get her out of your head for a while then." She started to place her lips on his neck. "Come with me," mumbled Nikki as she started to pull him towards his room


	4. Chapter 4

**_Author's Note: I am REALLY sorry for those of you who are waiting for this. Its all written, turns out to be nine chapters long. Sorry for the wait about it but I just need some time to post them all and maybe a few encouraging reviews hinthint. ANyway I hope you like it and remember this takes place just before FEAR_**

******_Big thanks to macrauchenia for being a great beta! _**

**_I don't own the FAYZ_**

**_REVIEW_**

**Chapter 4**

Jace woke with the image of a couch seam printed across his face in bright red. The thick line of the leather couch he slept on that night had a bit of drool on it. He sat up and tried to stretch but his stomach started to growl.

He had spent the night in an office not too far away from where the Jack house was. He watched Dwight go back there with the girl last night. He had yet to see him leave. He just needed to wait for those worthless lumberjacks to get out of their house and head out of town to get the loads of wood and then he could get in and take what he wanted. Then burn the place down. That was if he couldn't get his guys to go after them again.

He lifted the pair of antique binoculars he had been using to watch the house. He sat there for a while and didn't see a thing; a couple of shadows crossed the front window but nothing else.

Finally, a tall guy walked out of the door and started to walk back into town at a fast clip. Jace ground his teeth together and took off after Dwight.

Jace jogged until he matched his old friend's pace. "Dwight, I have an idea."

"Not interested."

Jace's cold eyes snapped on the tall youth. "What do you mean? You don't even know what it is."

Dwight shrugged. "And I don't care. Why don't you go beg Crissy to take you back?"

"Because I thought you were my bro. We're best friends, man," Jace tried to put a hand on Dwight's shoulder but he it shrugged away.

"No, dude, you've jumped my case too many times." Dwight started to walk faster, but not in the direction of the casino. "I'm leaving. You have fun."

Dwight left Jace standing on the sidewalk as he went into a large blue house and didn't seem to be leaving for a while. Jace scowled and kicked a rock as he started walking back towards the casino and listened to his stomach growl again.

He didn't have Dwight, but that didn't mean anything. He could still figure something out. He just wasn't sure what that was going to be. He didn't want to go crawling back to Crissy, but he was sure as hell that he wasn't going to make a living out in the fields. Maybe Dwight did have an idea. He could work his way back into Crissy's good graces. It would make him look bad, but it could be worth it. All he had to do was make her happy and trust him again and all the cards would be back in his hand.

Before he knew it, he was at his old house and knocking on the door. Marshall pulled the door open and glared down at him. "What do you want, Ace?"

He grinned, his old charm coming back to him. "I was wondering if Miss Crissy could use a dealer."

**~x~X~x~**

Will sat motionless as he watched his baby brother convulse on his little racecar bed. Coughs ripped out of the little boy's mouth like they were tearing apart his insides.

Will was useless. Any medicine he gave Demi would be thrown right back up. He couldn't carry his brother because he thrashed so much.

He couldn't do it. His entire reason for living was right there in that bed. He tried everything and nothing worked. He didn't know what to do. Tears wouldn't come to his eyes. Curses couldn't be formed with his too thick tongue.

He couldn't keep watching his brother die from the inside out.

But he had no choice.

**~x~X~x~**

Jean woke with a start as she realized she was in Kristos' bed. "No, no, no tell me I didn't do anything thing." She jerked aside the blanket to find herself completely clothed. "Thank God," she mumbled as she looked around for the other person that should have been there.

Kris was missing.

Jean cursed under her breath and ran to where she hid his markers. They were still there. She went to the living room and couldn't believe what she saw. The house she had been staying in with Kris was actually…clean.

The boy she had been trying to save looked like he was a brand new person. A hair tie held back his long greasy hair. His hands were busy washing leaves of a head of cabbage in a bucket of salt water. Pieces of cooked meat were sitting on a dish at the table.

"What—what's going on, Kristos?"

Kris turned and smiled. His teeth were stilled with cavities and he was missing one on the side. The skin on his face was stretched tight and dry but he still grinned. His eyes were clearer and brighter than ever.

"Come on, come sit down," ushered her into a chair at the head of the table. "I've got breakfast for you."

"Where did you…"

Kris sat a plate of meat and the cabbage in front of her. "Its rat, I caught it out back. I sold an old pot pipe to get the money for the rest. We'll start work again soon on picking food. I thought you could use a day off."

"Where did this come from?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Kris was usually still in bed, needing to be jerked out. "I mean, what are you doing?"

Kris's face looked troubled for moment and he sat down and started to chew slowly on a cabbage leaf. "You are a good person, Jean. I need to be a better person. I'll never be good. I can be better. I can start by making things better for you. You stood by me and tried to make me clean up. I'm doing that. Thanks, but I need to help now."

She couldn't believe her ears. She was the one that was supposed to be making up for things she did in the past and here he was saying he needed to be the better person. "Kris, I don't-"

"I know you don't like me that much. I get it." The grin was still on his face. "But the truth is, I like you a lot and I want you to see I can be likable." He cleared his throat. "So what do you say?"

"Umm… okay?" She asked dumbly.

**~x~X~x~**

"So he stays the night in your room. Now he's gone. You're still in bed. We're late. Anything stolen?" Aerik demanded as he watched his sister sit up in bed. Her hair was a mess, and her face was pulled into a tight scowl.

Athene sat up and started to dig in a drawer nearby, probably for clean socks. "Nothing's stolen."

"How do you know?" Aerik demanded. He couldn't believe his sister's naiveté. Dwight ran with a gang of criminals. "Why did he even sleep in your room?"

"Because I invited him and I walked him out of the house." Athene glared at him in the mirror as she pulled a brush through her hair. "I'm not going to invite someone into our house and not keep an eye on them. I'm not stupid."

"I didn't say you were stupid," Aerik snapped.

"And I didn't say that you did," she snapped back.

"You implied."

She shrugged and started to braid her hair. "You've implied a lot of things."

"And you assume things." Aerik's brown eyes watched her carefully.

"Like what do I assume?" Athene finally turned on him and glared with a sense of dignity despite the baggy sweat pants pushed up to exposed red tube socks and oversized tank top.

Aerik cheeks turned pink. He couldn't believe his sister was acting like such a priss about things. He had seen how she always peered around doorways and knocked on closed doors, always checking to make sure she wasn't interrupting. "You think that all Nikki and I do is sleep together."

"I don't care what you guys do when I'm not around, just long as she doesn't end up…you know." She flicked her hand in the air.

"Pregnant?" Aerik rolled his eyes. "Impossible. You would have to get past second base for that.

It was Athene's turn to blush bright red. "I didn't know, and quite frankly I don't care." She scowled. "I would like to get dressed you know?"

"If you didn't care, you wouldn't be concerned about your brother's virginity," he countered.

"It's not that!" She grabbed a clean T shirt from her closet and a pair of jeans, too. "I just don't want you with the wrong girls."

Aerik threw his hands in the air. "I thought you and Nikki were friends? What's the big deal, is it because she doesn't like freaks?"

"No!" Athene's brow was creased. "She still hangs around that Crissy girl. You know the one who's boyfriend wanted us dead?"

"So what? Here you were sleeping in the same room as the guy that did shoot at you. Next you'll be telling me he's moving to the lake with you."

Athene turned her back on him again. It frustrated Aerik to not be able to see her face. "I've thought about it, and I think I'm just going to go out into the hills alone. It would be safer with less people. Especially if you came with me too. But yeah Dwight's coming with me, at least as far as the ridge."

"Why can't you just stay with Nikki and me?"

"Nikki and I," she corrected.

"Just shut up for a minute." Aerik grabbed onto the edge of her bed. "Do you know what you're doing to us? I slept just down the hall so I could hear everything in your room all night. You're taking Dwight with you just to make me come."

"No I'm not," she growled. "And it's none of your business what I do or don't do with Dwight."She reached for the hem of shirt to change, Aerik saw he pushed her patience a bit too far, she was in a hurry to leave.

Aerik turnd around as he listened to his sister change clothes. "Oh so you don't like it when it's _your _virginity in question?"

"Ugg! Shut it Aerik." She hooked the button on her jeans and heard her proceed to zip them up before she sat down to lace up her boots. "I'm leaving town with Dwight. I wish you would come with me, but if you don't, that fine, stay here with your lying girlfriend."

"She's not lying, so what if she talks to Crissy when they run into each other in the market?" Aerik scowled and suddenly found the floor very interesting. The truth was, Nikki left the house a lot lately and he had no idea where she was most the time. He and Athene never had this problem because they were always together.

"Believe what you want Aerik, I'm going to the garage to finish packing up. I plan on leaving soon." She shouldered her way past him in the door frame and disappeared down the stairs.

Aerik sighed and stomped off to his own room, he found a nice sight when he got there. Nikki was on his bed in one of the long and tight tank tops she wore with an even tighter pair of spandex shorts. Her right leg was crossed over the other; a magazine was open in her hands. She looked like she had barely moved today.

"Hey there, beautiful," he sat down next to her and reached over to kiss her.

She kissed him back, her hands roaming under his shirt. "I was worried you would be in a bad mood," she told him a little breathlessly. "I heard you and Athene arguing."

Aerik shook his head and let his lips trail along her jaw. "She's just angry, she'll get over it." He really liked the way her finger tips barely brushed against his collar bone. He let his hands slip lower over her ribs resting just along the elastic of her shorts.

He found her lips again, smothering them with his own as his thumb began to hook into the edge of her clothing and suddenly she was pulling away. "Uh-uh, you know where my line is, Aerik, we won't want anything we'll regret." She leaned back down to kiss him again, this time his hands stayed where they were allowed.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So I haven't posted anything on this, you know just in case some one out there is still reading my normality series or anything, s I thought I should finish this up.**

**Anyway, leave a review, and let me know what you think.**

**I don't own anything. **

**Chapter 5**

Jace heard a knock on the casino door. He looked over at Marshall; the big guy didn't appear to move. Jace sighed. _Oh, how the mighty have fallen_.

He went to the door and opened it to see Dwight. "Finally come to your senses?"

Dwight shook his head and looked over Jace's shoulder to Marshall. "I need to see Crissy about Casino guard business."

Marshall looked up from the comic book he was reading and strolled down the hall to Crissy's office.

"So I heard you're running out of town with some chick." Jace leaned against the wall and looked at the big red duffle bag Dwight had on his shoulder. "Good for you, man, finally getting some. It's about time. Kinda big for my taste, but much better than that whore Mercedes."

"Shut up, dude." Dwight's grip on the bag tightened.

Jace nodded for a moment; he knew how to get under people's skin. This girl he heard Crissy and Nikki talking about must be that itch that got to his old friend. Dwight would have to learn people were either with him or against him. "So she's that good that you don't want to share? I get it, I get. I heard you were both in the hardware store too, picking up some knee pads for her?"

Dwight's dark eyes turned on him and in a flash of anger Dwight shoved Jace back, flipping the lanky boy over backwards onto the couch. "I said shut up, Jace."

Jace's face turned red as he jumped to his feet and he saw an audience. Crissy, standing with her arms crossed, was watching him. Marshall was at her back. "I'm guessing you came for your last paycheck since you're getting ready to leave?" she asked.

Dwight nodded. "I want to be out of the guard dog business."

"You wouldn't be a dog to me, Dwight," Crissy put a hand on his shoulder. "Marshall, help him take his bag off. Come on, Dwight. Let's get you your money."

Jace watched his old best friend and ex-girlfriend wander down the hall together before he got an idea at one parting shot with Dwight. Jace ran to the bed that he was given to sleep in inside the house that the other guards and dealers for the casino stayed in as well. He grabbed his duffel bag and dug through it until he found what he wanted. He had two gallon sized bags and a quart sized Ziploc of foil wrapped condoms. Jace grinned. He had expected to use more of them when he was running the casino and so he paid money for them when kids brought them to him or gave them credit. A bag of these would be a great parting shot at Dwight, the prude.

He ran back and stuffed the Ziploc in the duffle bag without anyone seeing him.

"You have the early dealing shift tonight. " Crissy came out of the hall with Marshall and Dwight. "I expect to see you early," she told Jace. "Good bye, Dwight. Take care of yourself."

**~x~X~x~**

Will watched his brother's coughs rip through the little boy. They were getting worse as the hours passed. He heard about the coughing that led up to the other kids' deaths. Soon the cough would be so bad that his little brother would bend into a C shape and his lungs would fly out of his mouth.

A tiny crack in Will's face started to appear as his mouth shaped a hard line. He was pushed into everything that had happened. He starved. He protected his home and his brother. He dealt with thugs and thieves, maniacs and freaks. He dealt with everything like he has been given, treating it all like a forge heating and tempering him to be better, to keep Demi safe until he could turn fifteen. Then Will would be done. He could just get over the rest of it. He could actually rest.

This was pushing him too far though. It was like he was dunked into an icy bath. His brother's death was taking Will and ripping him apart. They hadn't had food in a day and barely any fresh water. Will couldn't take it anymore. It was all just too much. Too much.

He wasn't the sword being sharpened that he wanted to be. He was like a glass that had been heated and stuck in the freezer. There was no warning. He just shattered.

Will jumped to his feet and started walking backwards. His mouth was dry as he grabbed the door knob and fell back. His eyes were still wide as he held himself up against the wall. He couldn't do it.

He couldn't sit there and watch Demi die. He just couldn't do.

He ran and didn't stop running.

Everything blurred together as tears overflowed and leaked down his face. He couldn't hear the others yelling at him or the sobs he made.

He crashed into an empty house and found an old mattress was on the floor. He fell onto it and finally the noise reached his ears. He yelled and screamed and cried. His hands grabbed at his sandy colored hair and pulled. Patches of blond hair fell to the floor and he sobbed.

He sobbed and he screamed and nothing could fix it. He had to forget about the dying boy in his old house. All he could do was scream.

**~x~X~x~**

Kris prepared to haul in his next basket of cabbages. Sweat fell across his eyes. But this would be his last load for the day; he had been working enough that both he and Jean would be fed well tonight. If he kept at it, she wouldn't have to go after the far artichoke fields that barely anyone watched late at night.

Dirt and grit clung to his arms in sticky streaks when he wiped his forehead and brought his produce in. His basket came in with a good set and he was even given a whole cabbage to take home with him.

Jean had spent the day still flabbergasted about Kris's complete turnaround. He smiled when he saw her in the kitchen, reading a book.

"I'm home." He smiled and held up the food.

"You look awful," Jean pointed out but didn't push him away when he kissed her cheek. "Maybe you should wash."

"You're going to come with me, right?" Kris' hopeful face was funny as his dark eyes looked up and his lips pulled back into a grin.

She started to walk off to the room where she had her bed. "We can go to the beach. Make a day out of it."

Kris took off and ran into his room. "Afternoon, you mean?" he called. He emerged wearing a pair of shorts, a tank top, and bare feet.

Jean was wearing a pair of cutoff jeans and had her hair wrapped into a pony tail. "Let's go!"

Together they hurried down to the sandy shore line of the beach. Farther away there were some kids splashing around by the remains of the desalination plant Albert had tried running. Most kids played in the huge rain cloud that never left and bathed there. Kris had sat down right in the middle of the sand, his lead pipe sticking out of it next to him. Jean flopped down next to him and used the large kitchen knife she carried to slice their cabbage in half.

They sat in silence except for the crunching of the cabbage.

As the last leaves were eaten, Jean hopped to her feet and ran into the water.

Kris laughed as he ran in to follow and tripped, stumbling into the ocean. Jean grabbed him and pulled him up, laughing at his disheveled state.

Today was going to be a nice day.

**~x~X~x~**

Athene poured the contents of a five gallon gas tank into a big ATV. She turned to look over the work she had done. Everything was ready. All she needed was a few more food preparations and Dwight was going to go to the market with her later that day with what money he had from working at Ace's Casino.

She heard Dwight clear his throat and mumble a strained hello. Athene walked around to the other side of trailer and her lips tightened.

"Athene, I was hoping to talk to you." Nikki gave her a small grin. "About what you're doing here."

"I'm going to go outside for a second," Dwight said and walked out the door, feeling the tension in the room.

"What is it, Nikki?"

Athene leaned again the edge of her tent trailer, scowling. The differences in the girls were astronomical. Where Athene was tall, broad, and dirty from work, Nikki was narrow, shorter, and barely mussed at all, having done nearly nothing the entire day.

"Your brother doesn't need you looking for attention like this." Her hand touched Athene's shoulder.

"Attention? You think I'm just looking for attention?" Athene snarled. "I'm not going to live under 'the King.' You've seen what he will do for power and I refuse to bend a knee for Caine."

"Athene, you know as well as I do that you don't like me living here. Your brother and I like each other a lot. That doesn't concern you."

"You're not even making sense, Nikki." Athene jerked her shoulder away. "And keep your hands off of me."

"Athene," called Nikki and went to reach for the girl again.

Athene's hands slid up her arms and her thick scales rippled across her skin. Nikki jumped back, staring wide eyed at the other girl.

"I said don't touch me. And get out of my garage." Athene snapped.

Nikki nodded and backed away, the whites of her eyes focused on Athene's arms. The moment she was in the shadow of the doorway, she ran.

Dwight was standing in the doorway that led to the back yard. "Hey, you alright?"

Athene turned to look at him and nodded. "I'm not doing this for attention. I'm doing what's right."

"I know." Dwight put both his hands on her shoulders so she could look him in the eye. He didn't even flinch from the feeling of the rough scales where smooth skin should have been. "Sometimes the people you're around just don't get it. You wanna go to the market now?"

Athene nodded and looked back at the door that Nikki had fled through, her scales retreating. It hurt to have Nikki scramble away like she did when the scales came out, but it hurt worse to think that Nikki thought she was doing all this for attention.

"Let's go! You never know what we'll find while we're there." Dwight held the door to the outside open for her and locked it behind them.

He grinned a bit as they walked down into the town. Together they walked through the town with a couple of plastic grocery bags. They even got a good deal on two big bags of cabbages. Dwight and Athene didn't talk that much, but they did look intimidating together so most people avoided them.

Except for a tall blond guy with icy blue eyes. "Dwight, man, what are you up to?" Jace came strolling up, carrying a backpack over one shoulder. "Hey there, Athene."

Athene scowled at the other boy. "What do you want, Ace?"

"Ouch, dude, muzzle her." Jace's friendly persona was dropped.

"Shut it, Jace." Dwight glared at the other boy. "What do you want?"

Athene smirked. "I could give you a matching mark." She looked over at the scar across his cheek.

A dark look crossed over Jace's face before it lightened. "I'm just getting a few things for the casino." He hoisted the backpack higher. "I should probably get going. See ya."

"Yeah, see ya," Dwight started to pull Athene away.

Jace chuckled and started to walk past them. "Oh by the way, nice piece there, Dwight." He reached out and grabbed Athene on the back side.

Athene jumped as scales rippled across her knuckles, her face turning bright red. Dwight dropped the bag of cabbages he carried and knocked Jace to the ground.

"You worthless-" Dwight cried as his fist connected with Jace's face. The blonde's own knuckles smashed into the other boy's nose.

People were starting to gather right away. "Dwight, come on!" Athene grabbed the other bag of food before the kids eyeing it could grab it. She wrapped her hand around his arm and tugged him off of Dwight. "Let's go, Dwight."

Dwight listened to Athene and followed her away, still glaring at Jace over his shoulder.

"Yeah, better get going, Dwight." Jace called up from the ground and started to climb to his feet. "Better get out of here before your tail cuts you off."

"Just ignore him, Dwight." Athene walked faster as she watched him try to stop his bleeding nose with his shirt sleeve.

Dwight mopped at his face as a red stain spread. "I'm really sorry about that."

They made quick work of the walk back to the house. They were already heading there anyway. Aerik was there when they walked in the front door.

"Oh and now he's fighting too? What other trouble are you going to be getting in and dragging my sister into with you?" Aerik demanded as he leaned against the wall.

"Go to my room. I'll be right there." Athene nodded at the stairs as she set the bags near the garage door and turned on her twin brother. "No, that creep Ace copped a feel on me and Dwight hit him. You done now?"

"Jace would have ignored you if Dwight wasn't with you!" Aerik called up the stairs after his sister stomped past him.

Athene ignored him and slammed her bedroom door. She saw Dwight sitting on the floor with his head back against the wall. She grabbed a jug of water off her desk and soaked a washcloth. She started to wipe the dried blood off his face.

"Thanks," Dwight mumbled and took the cloth to finish. "It seems like the world is against us, huh?"

"They'll get over it, won't they?" Athene sat next him and bumped his hand with her own, startling him and making him bump his sore nose. "Sorry."

"If not, I guess it's us against the world." He laughed for second until Athene joined in. They sat there together on the floor with their shoulders pressed together in a happy and comfortable silence.


	6. Chapter 6

I Do not own anything

**Chapter 6**

Jace sat on his bed, staring at the black roof. One of the girls Crissy had living nearby had her bare back pressed against his side, her head resting on his bicep. His hand was starting to fall asleep. He scowled at the dark hair next to him.

He hadn't planned to stay in his bed over night, but she didn't want him to leave either. His hand was _really _starting to fall asleep now. He jerked his arm out from under her and scooted away, ignoring the mumbled response from her. He grabbed the shorts on the floor and pulled them up over his narrow hip bones and tied the drawstring. He slid out of the girl's room and carefully picked his way across the floor until he got outside.

A crash and yelling burst out from the main house on their little compound. Crissy's voice was above them all as she screamed for Marshall to stop someone.

Jace smirked and took off running for the casino. He burst through the back door and was shoved to the ground as a kid elbowed him in the side and kept running. Marshall crashed out of the hall and started to pursue the other kid. When the kid disappeared from sight, Marshall returned and sent a glare down at Jace.

"You should have stopped him, Ace." Marshall helped Jace to his feet. "You're the runner, remember?"

"Hey, I didn't know what was going on." Jace glared at Marshall. The red head looked to be in a similar state of undress as the blonde. "Don't you know you shouldn't sleep with the boss? Unless you want a promotion, that is."

Marshall glared and shoved Jace inside. "Get in there. You can be of some use."

Jace was shoved down onto the couch and Crissy came in wearing a silky, short robe. Jace couldn't help himself; he never remembered her wearing that for him. He let his eyes roam up and down her body before he rested his head on his hand so he could look at her between his fingers and see through the silky material. She had nothing on underneath, and this put him in a better mood until the dots connected her in this with Marshall.

"Want me to do something for you?" Jace asked innocently.

"Yes, in fact..." Crissy's cold look matched his as she sat across from him in a chair. She delicately crossed her legs, giving him a nice view of the upper part of her thigh. "That kid that ran through here tried to stab me with this." She set a knife on the arm of overstuffed chair. "The kid also mentioned how he was told to kill the casino owner. Now, here's my question. Was he after you or me?"

"You are the casino owner now, I guess," Jace told her.

"Yes, but you made more enemies and he seemed startled to see a girl in your old bed." Crissy ignored Marshall, taking his place behind her shoulder.

"Probably more startled to see not me with you in my bed." Jace let his eyes roll up to look at Marshall. "So has she done that nifty little trick for you with her tongue—"

"Shut up," Crissy snapped. "Marshall, have one of your best and this horn dog guard the house. I'll be waiting for you." She stood up and pressed her lips to the corner of Marshall's mouth before sending an icy glare back over her shoulder to Jace.

Jace scowled as she swung her hips the whole way down the hall. He would have what he wanted in the end though. It was now just a matter of time.

**~x~X~x~**

Will cried; he lost all track of time; he did nothing. He didn't what was going on around him. He didn't care if he lived or died at this point. He just wanted all the pain to go away. He didn't want to know that his brother was dead or dying or that the little boy and his furry rabbit ever existed. He didn't care. He didn't_ want_ to care.

It hurt too much.

When Kris came into the house, a pretty girl with him, Will wailed even more. Kris brought back memories of how Will had protected Demi from Kris's greedy, grabbing hands.

Will let them take him away.

The whole way he mumbled and blubbered about how he hated everything.

Kris was kind and patient as he and Jean coaxed him the whole way to a new house. Kris sat him on a bed, cleaned his face, fed him a cabbage, and gave him water to drink.

Will's crying dried up a bit, but he shivered and almost couldn't eat by himself. Sweat blanketed his forehead as he prepared for what was coming. He knew it was.

Kris grabbed his shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. "Where's Demi, Will?"

The little shards of Will's world that he had been grabbing at shattered again. Wailing came from his mouth as the words fell from his lips. "He's dead! He had the flu! He's dead! I let him die! I _let_ him die," Will cried.

Kris wrapped his skinny little arms around the sandy colored head and let Will continue to sob into his shoulder. That was all that Will thought of. The greasy haired kid he hit not that long ago was helping him hold the shattered pieces of his life.

**~x~X~x~**

Kris was stunned with what Will had told him. His shirt was soaked through with Will's tears. The water and food they had brought him were long gone, but Will still sat on the corner of the bed, shaking. His arms were wrapped around his body.

Kris couldn't help but remember the older protecting the little boy. Will had been strong and defiant, ready to protect Demi from anything. Ready to do anything for Demi. Now, Demi was dead. And Will was a mess.

"Will, do you want us to go and bury him?"

"No!" Will shrieked at him. "No! Let him stay in his bed with Max. Let them lay there in peace." The former Boy Scout broke out into dry sobbing again.

Kris pulled away for a moment to have Jean refill Will's cup of water again.

"Should I go and look?" Jean asked as she watched the poor boy who looked like he was trying to put himself back together like someone would pour sand into a colander.

Kris shook his head. "Will wouldn't fall apart like this if there was any hope left. Maybe you could go and see if you could get some better food we could feed him. Some meat. He hasn't eaten well in a while."

Jean nodded and walked away. The sounds of Will's crying carried out of their house. It sounded like they were killing an animal inside.

Jean found her way into the market, saying hi to the people she knew and looking for some type of meat. Fish, rats, pigeons, lizards. The selection wasn't the best. She ended up buying three rats. It was a basic meal or three for field worker wages.

That was when a couple of her friends happened to catch her. It was Nikki and Crissy.

"Jean," Crissy called and pulled her aside. "I have a question for you."

"What's that?" Jean wrung her hands together; this couldn't be good.

Nikki looked around for a moment. "Some kid tried to stab Crissy last night. Have you heard anything?"

Jean's jaw fell open. "No," she gasped.

"Well someone tried, and I was hoping you could ask around for me. While you're out that is." Crissy let her cold stare drift over the shorter girl's head. "I have a couple of theories."

"Who do you want me asking about specifically?" Jean tucked her hands into her pockets.

"Aerik Jack. He lives up above the highway. Has some beef with Ace, my ex, and might have thought to send someone after him. But he probably ended up coming after me too," Crissy explained.

"I highly doubt it's Aerik," Nikki mumbled.

"Jace wonders about that himself, because if it wasn't Aerik Jack, it might be Will Baker for the same reason. Or to get back at me for letting Ace come back undamaged."

"It wouldn't be Will Baker." Jean shook her head.

"You know something?" Nikki questioned.

Jean Nodded solemnly. "Will's a mess; I have him at my house. He can barely see straight, let alone talk. His brother died."

"Hard times," Crissy mumbled. "Poor little kid, but do you have the rabbit he had?"

"No, he said it died with his brother."

Crissy made a face. "Oh, well."

"The other idea we had would be Athene Jack, Aerik's twin. And Dwight, Jace's old friend. Athene would want me to admit that I still hang out with Crissy here, and Dwight to get back at Jace." Nikki said while casting a glare at Crissy. "I know Aerik and he wouldn't try to have you killed. His freaky bitch of a sister might though."

"You're dating Aerik, aren't you?" Jean asked. Nikki nodded. "So why are you telling me this?" Jean looked between the two older girls.

"Because you're our friend, and you hear things. I need ears everywhere. I'll send someone for you; I'm going to be discussing what I'm going to do about this. I want to know what you can find out by then, and I want to know what you think." Crissy placed a hand on Jean's shoulder. "I keep my friends close."

**~x~X~x~**

Aerik waited forever for Athene and Dwight to stop hanging around the garage and to stop working on their trailer constantly. He didn't want his sister going. If she wanted to move out into another house, that would be no big deal. But leaving Perdido Beach altogether? And taking Dwight with her? That was going too far.

He waited for them to leave. Dwight went out to look for a little extra gas in abandoned cars; Athene went to look for loading powders and bullets in old abandoned houses. Once they were both gone, and Nikki too—she had gone down to visit the market—Aerik snuck into the garage.

He started by draining the air in one of the tires. Just enough so that it would delay his sister from leaving, hopefully long enough for her to come to her senses. He was about to start dismantling pieces of her ATV that she was going to be pulling the trailer with, when he saw the bright red duffle bag strapped to the tent trailer. It was Dwight's.

Aerik grinned as he started to unzip the bag. He would get a closer look at what that Dwight was all about heading off with his sister in the woods.

Aerik fell backwards when he saw the Ziploc bag right on top. The Ziploc bag was full of foil wrapped squares. Each one, and there were plenty of them, held a condom. "That-"

Just then the garage door opened. Dwight came in and set a five gallon gas tank down on the floor.

"Oh, hi Aerik," the taller youth said as he started to walk over to get another gas can.

"_You ass_!" Aerik dropped off the edge of the trailer, one of the foil wrappers in his hand. "This was your whole plan wasn't it?" He shoved Dwight into a work bench.

"Hey man, what's the problem?" Dwight held his hands up, trying to look innocently in Aerik's eyes and failing.

Aerik shoved the wrapper at his face. Dwight's eyes grew wide as a red fire erupted under his skin from his neck to his hairline."I have no idea where that came from."

"Oh? And what about the two hundred and some others in your bag?" Aerik threw the package on the ground at Dwight's feet and shoved him squarely in the chest again, making Dwight's back dig into the heavy bench.

"That's all you wanted out of my sister. Before the FAYZ you wouldn't have given her a second glance." Aerik shoved a finger into Dwight's chest. "You just wanted someone to screw because everyone else is too smart to touch you."

"Aerik, it's not like that." Dwight tried to push himself up. "I have no idea where any of those came from. I'm not trying to sleep with Athene. I'm just-"

Aerik's fist smashed into Dwight's face. "You're an ass. I knew you were. It's not enough you _shot_ her. Now you're trying to screw her too." Aerik's fist slammed into Dwight without mercy.

Dwight's arms came up to cover his head as Aerik shoved him to the floor. However, the beatings continued. And so did the insults.

Aerik was blinded by fury and barely realized it when he was suddenly thrown backwards and his shoulder felt like it had burst into flames. "You worthless thug, what did you hit me with?!"

Aerik's brown eyes widened when he saw Dwight's battered body sitting back against the work bench. Above him stood Athene, scales rippling her skin.

"What are you doing," she hissed.

Aerik tried to stand up but his twin kicked him back down on the ground as she advanced on him. "All he wanted to do was sleep with you. He has a huge bag of condoms in his duffle."

"Well I don't see where that concerns you." Athene grabbed the front of Aerik's shirt and pulled him to his feet. "I'm sick of this. I'm sick of your girlfriend. I'm sick of you accusing my friend of anything. I'm sick of you jumping him every time he's in a room."

Aerik looked down and saw that Athene had hit him in the shoulder again, ripping flesh with her scales. "You cut me."

"You were beating up Dwight." Athene let go of him. "No more, Aerik. I'm sick of this. All of this.

"You used your effin' scales on your own brother."

"Are you listening to me, Aerik?"

"Why should I? You never listen to me, Athene!" He started to take a step back towards the door, his whole arm burned from what looked like road rash on his arm. "You can't do this to me. You _used your effing scales on me, Athene_!"

"Aerik, shut up and get over it!"

"Athene, come on, I'll be fine," Dwight went to grab her shoulder. He was up, but still looking groggy.

"Stay out of this, you ass," yelled Aerik. "Just crawl back to your corner like a good dog and stay away from my sister." Aerik went to take another step at Dwight.

Athene was there in her brother's way and she shoved him back with her scaled hand. "Leave him alone and get out of my garage!" She pointed to door for him to leave.

Fire erupted under Aerik's chest where Athene's scales ripped into him again. He pressed his hand to it and pulled away to find a light smear of blood. "You bitch," he growled. "You worthless freak!"

He raised his hand to hit Athene. Dwight jumped at him and grabbed the upturned arm and used it to twist Aerik right through the door. "She said get out," he growled, his protective side shining through

Athene glared at her brother through the open door frame. "Stay out of this garage while I'm here. _And stay out of my life_," she hissed before she slammed the door in his face.


	7. Chapter 7

Still don't own anything

**Chapter 7**

They were all gathered around the little table Crissy had set up in her office. Despite everything Crissy did to prevent it, Jace needed to be there, he was important no matter how hard she wanted him not to be. Marshall sat close, like a trained puppy waiting for Crissy's eyes to land on him in approval. Nikki was next to the door, a stubborn look in the way she set her mouth. Jean almost trembled as she sat between Nikki and Jace, she knew something, but Crissy knew something about her and that was what kept Jean sitting right there at that table. As for Crissy, Jace saw the way sat, ready to move and attack. Crissy was on edge to say the least, and Nervous people were always ready to defend themselves.

"So, as of right now, the people we believe could have hired the kid was Aerik Jack, Athene Jack, Will Baker, or Dwight Baer," Crissy told them all.

"That Will Baker dude, he's nuts I guess. He has beef with Ace," said Marshall.

"Will Baker can barely feed himself," Jean told them, rubbing her hand with a thumb.

"Well, that Dwight guy looked pretty mad at Jace the other day."

"Athene," Nikki spoke out. "She would want something like this done, to get back at me, and at Jace. Aerik told me Dwight is screwing her, and Dwight wants to get back at Ace for whatever went down between them. Athene would put it all together or maybe have Dwight hire a guy because she can't have a normal conversation with people."

Jace was already shaking his head. "Athene would have more of a problem with Nikki and you and I, Crissy." He leaned back in his chair. "Aerik Jack isn't that innocent, sorry to ruin your dream Nik'. He was probably the guy who went out to do the hiring; he's a little more protective of his sister than need be isn't he?"

Nikki nodded slowly. "He's been fighting with Dwight this whole time. Aerik's getting mad over Athene getting ready to take off. That would also reason why Athene would lead this, she's the one taking off, she'll be out of King Caine's reach."

"This could be difficult." Crissy scowled at the table. "The kid that attacked me just said he was hired to stab the casino owner. Was he really after me?"

"What if he was after both of us?" Jace threw out there. "What does your little nark have to say?"

"Jean, did you find anything?" Crissy's harsh glare found her way to Jean. "Well don't make _me_ do the talking."

Jean sat up straighter. "I found out who did it, he's hiding in some little place out towards clifftop. His name is Riley, he's freaking out that Jace or Dwight or Marhsall will be coming after him."

"That would make sense since those three have been the ones to dish out casino business." Crissy pulled at her lip as she turned a glance on Jace. "But it could also mean that Dwight would be mad for him not following through, because it's pretty well known Dwight isn't even with us anymore."

"Did you find out if Riley said who hired him?" Nikki asked.

"Just 'some guy' is what's being said." Jean looked at the table.

"An example." Jace slapped his hand on the table. "We can narrow it down to the Jacks or Dwight. Dish it out to all three and show everyone else not to mess with the casino."

"No, Aerik wasn't involved in this, I swear he wasn't." Nikki almost jumped up as she shot a glare at Jace and begged Crissy.

"It would work," mumbled Marshall."

"It wouldn't be good to punish innocent people." Jean's eyes shot around frantically.

All eyes were on Crissy, even Jace's, but Jace knew what she would do. The risk was too high to go unaccounted for in Crissy's mind. She thought for just a moment before nodding. "I hate to say it but Ace is right. Nikki, I can't risk Aerik being involved, he's with us or against us. Athene and Dwight go down hard, Aerik will be seen too but some mercy can be granted. The trick is to get them out of their house without too much shooting."

**~x~X~x~**

Will sat on the edge of the bed. He watched as Kris came and went from the fields and Jean went away and returned. All of it from the little crack in the door way. They were just so happy, so sweet so perfect. Even when Jean came back and her face was frowning. They were still the happy little couple. Kris took her hand and hugged her and kissed her softly.

Will kicked the door shut when they kissed.

He didn't get it, how could they be so happy when the world was stuck and screwed up. People were starving and in the dark and they were kissing. People dying, getting sick and hurt and no one was there taking care of them. His own personal world was dead.

What the hell were they so happy for?

He looked out the door, they whispering in the corner of the living room, cuddled up all close together and cozy. He shut the door again and fell to his knees. He needed out. He wanted to poof right now. Not tomorrow, not years from now. Right now!

He slammed his hand on the floor board near the closet. It leaped up.

Will knew this was Jean's old room from what they told him, but he couldn't guess why she would need a space to hide stuff. When he moved the board he saw the old shoe box.

Inside the shoe box was bottles and little plastic tubes.

Realization hit Will in the chest like a shotgun blast. Kris used to get away from the world.

Will cupped his hand over one side of the paint can and used the other to push the spray top.

Will took a deep breath and let the numbness take over.

**~x~X~x~**

"All three of them are going to be punished?" Kris asked again as he had one dirty arm wrapped around Jean's shoulder. "Why did you even bother going?"

Jean's face crumbled as she leaned into Kris. At first, this was supposed to be a way to help him, but as the days passed, it seemed like he was the one helping her. "Crissy knows…stuff about me."

"Like what?"

"Things from before we moved in together. It doesn't matter really, but she calls and I go." Jean's nails pulled in tighter to Kris's arm. "What am I supposed to do? I can't sit back and let them all get hurt. If I go get Riley, they'll turn on him too. I'm afraid they might really hurt Dwight and the girl. Aerik will get out easy because of Nikki."

"They'll have a hard time hurting Athene, she's a freak." Kris's mind was going fast, trying to think of something to help Jean. She was so mad at herself for helping them. So sad that crissy was bullying her into this. He had to do something for her.

"I'll go warn them," he told her and kissed her cheek. "I'll be back soon."

"No!" Jean grabbed a hold of him. "What if Crissy finds out?"

He smiled. "I've had plenty of time sneaking around. I won't be seen."

Kris took another kiss from Jean and thought to go and tell Will where he was going but decided he would be fine with Jean. He slipped his way across backyards and alley ways. He cut across the freeway and in no time, without a single soul seeing him.

The Jack house was hard to find, mostly because it was a lot farther away than he expected. He was slightly startled to see the house. Most people hid in their houses if they weren't in public places, the Jack house looked like a compound.

The first person he saw was Athene. She was scowling and had her auburn hair twisted up as she was heading back to her house.

"Athene!" he hissed.

The tall girl turned and glared at him. "What do you want Kristos Meth?"

"Most people call me Kris now, I'm cleaned up." Kris came closer and glanced up to make sure no one was looking. "Listen, troubles coming this way, my girl, Jean hangs with Crissy and Nikki. Crissy is coming for you and Aerik and Dwight. I don't know what's going on, but be ready, stay close to your house at night and don't go unarmed. I don't think Crissy will want to go during the day unless she has a good card in her hand."

"Why should I trust you?" Athene demanded, confusion etched across her face.

Kris shook his head. "I'm just trying to help. Take it with what you want, but just remember I tried to help you. Be safe, I have to go." Kris started to walk away before a thought crossed his mind. "If you go back into town with your brother, would you go to Will Baker's house and bury his brother Demi, he died, Will said. I can't do it alone, and wouldn't know where to do it. But I just thought, since you and Aerik got pretty close to the little guy…"

"Demi's gone?" Athene's face went white. "I'll take care of it."

Kris turned to leave."Thank you, Will took it really hard, and I'm seeing to him, so you know."

"Wait," she called. "Thanks, Kris." Athene shook his hand and retreated into the garage of her house.

**~x~X~x~**

Athene rushed into her garage and found Dwight eating cabbage. "Come on, grab a shovel."

"What's going on?" Dwight jumped to his feet and did as he was told, already following Athen to the door.

"A friend of ours, his little brother died, and needs to be buried." Athene's face crumbled as crying threatened to break free.

In that moment of weakness, Dwight went to reach for her, but stopped and pulled back before he touched her. Athene noticed it, she wanted him to. She almost wanted to throw herself into him and let him hold her that way she had seen so many other people. The way Aerik held Nikki. Or any of the other couple developing in the FAYZ. She did, but she couldn't. That was what everyone was expecting out of them, and she wasn't going to give them that. She was afraid, too. What if Aerik was right and Dwight only wanted one thing out of her. She knew that before the FAYZ a lot of kids made fun of her, calling her fat and everything else, but after, she thought maybe she had a chance still. What if Dwight was just looking for a way to get out of town, he said it must have been Jace that put those things in his bag, but that could have made it worse. What if Dwight didn't want to do anything with her? The rejection would sting too much.

The big problem was not that though, and Athene hated herself for thinking of _that_ instead of the bigger pain in her chest. The little boy Demi had died. He was so young, so fragile. If Will had accepted their help and let them take Demi up to their house, maybe the boy would be alive.

But what if-ing would get you nowhere and she opened the Baker house preparing for the stink of death.

"Upstairs?" Dwight asked and she nodded. He hadn't said a word the whole way, Athene wasn't sure if that was good or bad yet.

She opened the door to Demi's room, expecting the worse. Inside the little racecar bed, there was a body. Small and frail, with a little white rabbit, Max, chewing on the sheets.

Then there was movement. Just the slightest ragged breath.

"Oh my god," Athene dropped to her knees next to Demi and put an ear to his chest while pressing two fingers to his neck. "He's alive. If he was that sick, it wasn't the killing flu, or he would be dead by now. He must be half starved and dehydrated and…get the rabbit in the crate, let's take him with us. We'll send word to Will that we'll get him better and send him home."

"Take him with us out of town?" Dwight asked as he lowered the rabbit into the little plastic crate.

"Of course," Athene grinned. "He's alive!" She went to scoop him up but Dwight stopped her.

"Let me." Dwight had made a sling to tie the crate on his back. He lifted Demi up off the bed as Athene tucked the blanket around him. "I'll carry him for you." He smiled down at her.

"Let's go."

Together the three of them rushed back to the Jack house. Almost at a run, they got there in no time. They put Demi on a cot in the garage with them and went to get some water and food for the boy. Dwight managed to get some water into the boy while Athene mashed cooked cabbaged and made it into a thin broth to get into him.

When the boy's breathing cleared and he seemed to be sleeping restfully instead of on the edge of death, Athene stood and decided that it was time to tell her brother about Kris's warning.

She left Dwight with Demi and slipped into the house, calling for Aerik. He was sitting on the couch, reading an old comic book. He acted like he was ignoring her but she knew he would pay attention to what she said.

"Aerik, Kris came to talk to me today." Athene told him the whole story about what Kris told her. Every detail except for the part about Demi. That wasn't the important part anyway.

"You're sinking that low now? And you never even apologized for using your scales on me." Aerik dropped the comic in his lap. "Nice touch adding how 'Jean' hangs out with Crissy _and _Nikki. Like you said, I'm sick of all this. Kristos Meth is a little huffing druggie creep, probably just want to mug you himself."

"Aerik that's not half of it."

"I don't care unless you're here to apologize." He picked his comic up. "And I thought you should stay out of my house."

"This is our house remember I live here too."

His dark eyes peered over the top of the dog eared pages. "You and your little friend with benefits out there threw me out of the garage remember. So unless you're here to apologize, get out of my house."

Athene felt like Aerik and punched her in the stomach. She shook her head and left, back to the garage. Dwight was still there, leaning over Demi, caring for the boy because she cared for the boy, not because he had any real connections to him. Again she wanted to grab him and let him hold her as she cried.

She didn't though. She sat on her bed she made against a work bench and wrapped her arms around herself. She thought she would always have her brother, if no one else. She couldn't bring herself to reach out for someone else to help her hold it together. She was doomed to be alone, so she might as well get over it.


	8. Chapter 8

I don't own anything

**Chapter 8**

Jace grinned as he and Marshall got together all their guys.

"Don't we have anymore guns?" Jace demanded as he looked at his own pistol and the two shotguns in the group, including the one Marshall carried. Crissy came out with a pistol tucked in her pants. The other boys and the odd girl or two that came with them were armed with knives and a mix of bats, two-by-fours, and pipes.

There was ten people total, counting Jace, Marshall, and Crissy. Not everyone wanted to go up against a bullet proof freak and a well armed group.

Crissy had found a black vest that looked like a bullet proof vest from a cop. "Yeah, we have plenty of guns, but not enough bullets, care to get us some?"

Jace snorted and ignored Marshall's glare. "Yeah where did you want me to pull those out from?"

"Shut it, Ace," Marshall said and shoved him.

Jace just smirked. "You should be the one shutting it. Boss man sir, who do people go after when they get attacked if they're smart?" He laughed at the red head's dumb look. "The boss, be smart boss man."

Jace's cold grin stayed in place as he sauntered over with the rest of the guards. "Be ready guys, the girl we're going after, my pal Dwight shot her right in the chest."

"What d'ya mean?" Asked one of the younger guys. "Like, she's dead or what?"

Jace shook his head. "She's a freak and bullet proof. Can't feel anything. She's like a crocodile covered in scales."

"But, Ace,… how can we do anything with her?"

"Hopefully we catch her before they come out." Jace shrugged and turned as Marshall and Crissy came over. "Well looks like it's time to go."

Crissy grabbed him and pulled him closer. "You shut up and quit messing with their heads, I'm only taking you to put you at the front in case they decide to shoot."

"Let's go," Marshall called, and true to Crissy's word. Jace was pushed at the front.

A sweat started to break out over Jace's brow. He dealt with the Jacks before and had to deal with Crissy's friend shoving a gun in his back. He didn't think they would stop this time around, he wouldn't.

"Where are we going?" asked one of the bouncers.

Jace glanced over his shoulder. "Up above the highway."

"Do you think, you should get Jean to come too?" Marshall asked and looked over a at house.

Crissy shook her. "No. I don't need everyone knowing we're friends. That wouldn't help her be useful to me."

Jace sighed, Crissy was a smart one. As mad her as he was, he had to admire that. That didn't change that he still wanted to snap her neck after today if everything didn't go how he hoped. Jace's cold blue eyes saw someone up ahead, and his mouth turned up at the corners.

"Crissy," he hissed. "You have the chance to get a great playing card."

Crissy's eyes glanced up and she saw the hulking girl. "All of you; get her. Tie her up with the belt. Go."

The boys took off running.

Jace was at the lead and slowed his pace so some of the overly anxious ones would get there first. The boys yelled, or called out names but, Jace was ready for what was coming.

"Get back!" Athene yelled. She ran her hands up her arms as scales ripped out, covering up to her neck and the hand that was wrapping around her pistol. "I'll shoot." She started to level the pistol into the throng of running guys.

A shot was fired and the boys scattered, losing their focus. Jace had been ready. He fired a round back, aiming at her chest.

Athene stumbled back as the breath was knocked from her lungs.

"Grab her!" Jace yelled.

Athene rose to her knees and smacked in the back with a bat. "Get off me!" she screamed.

"Watch her scales!" Jace called as one boy was slashed across the legs.

"Get away!" Athene thrashed as a couple of the bigger guys with leather gloves pulled her arms down and back and started to take leather straps to tie her arms back behind her.

The boys were overcome by the adrenaline. Fists, bats, shoes rained down on the freak, and Jace didn't do anything.

Athene let out a scream as scales exploded from her body. Thick broad slabs grew from the base of her neck building a hood over her head and up her face, covering everything but her eyes. Rips in her pants appeared as scales rippled through them.

"Get back!" Crissy yelled as she approached. "Let me look at her.

The scaled mass on the ground was breathing heavily and mumbling, almost sobbing. Jace could barely understand her.

"Look at me!" Crissy yelled.

Athene's head slowly tipped up. Jace's mouth twitched into a smirk as he saw just the slightest hesitation in Crissy's eyes looking down at the beaten girl.

Jace's own cold glare looked down at the girl that had played a hand in humiliating him. He smirked as he saw thick tears running down her eyes and over the scales.

Murmuring from the guys started to rise.

"Eww."

"Is she like Orc?"

"That's gross, dude."

The comments kept coming.

"Worthless freaks." Crissy shook her head as she watched the girl. "It's disgusting watching those things come out of you, you know that right?"

Athene's head fell and tears dripped down into a puddle at her feet.

Jace had done it. Out of Will, Nikki, Aerik, and Dwight, this was the strongest out of all of them. Athene was the reason and the control. Aerik was the inspiration to all of them. Will was the unsure one. Nikki was cunning and unpredictable. Dwight was loyal and defensive. Will was defeated with his brother dead. Without Athene though, the others would come crumbling down. The girl that had torn through his guys like they were made of butter was battered and broken, and looked like an animal. One down, only four more to go.

Today was his lucky day.

**~x~X~x~**

Will scrambled through the broken window and fell to the floor with a thump. His eye sight was bleary and his nose hurt, but he could make all that better. He cupped his hand over the end of the spray pain he kept on hand.

Paint smeared across his face but he didn't care. He looked through the house, looking for anything. He found a little packet of some type of pills under a couch cushion and some wood staining liquid. He took deep breaths out of the bottle of stain and swallowed a couple of the pills dry.

This was his life. He did everything he could to just forget. Let all the worries wash away like they never existed.

He couldn't get them all to go away though. As his head cleared, that stabbing memory came back to him. His brother's body being beaten by its own coughing kept sounding in his ears. The little boy's cries for his mom and his bunny bit at his neck.

It caused his stomach to twist and threaten to come up, his eyes to hurt and his nose to run.

Then he would take a long draw out of the paint can and forget most of it. Some of the pain at least.

He took another deep breath out of the stain.

It was just a temporary fix, though. The pain of the dying boy was haunting him in the waking nightmares he lived.

His fifteenth birthday was too far, he didn't think he could handle it all up until then. There had to be better way.

There was.

He looked down at the rest of the pills he had. Maybe if he swallowed all of them, that should be quick and painless.

Without thinking too long on it he swallowed them all down, too many for his fuzzy head to count.

He sat there on the floor, waiting for it. Waiting for his one way ticket out of pain.

He would be with the dead boy soon enough. He would be with…with…Demi.

Just thinking the name sent him into another flurry of fits as tears started to poor out of his eyes, onto his cheeks sending diluted yellow rivers streaming onto his clothes.

He didn't deserve a quick and painless death. He didn't deserve it after he let his little brother suffer for days and die alone. He could do it. But he had. And now...now...it was all going to be over when he should have been the one sweating and gasping and calling out for help that would never come.

He couldn't die when he didn't deserve to.

He shoved himself to his knees and shoved his hand as far down his throat as he could, hoping it was too late and at the same time hoping he wasn't.

Everything in his stomach came rushing up onto the tile floor. It splashed onto his clothes and hands, making the room smell bad and his throat burn. He did it again, and again, until he knew his stomach was empty.

He didn't deserve a quick death, or an easy one. He deserved all the pain in the world and he shouldn't be allowed to die.

No matter how bad he wanted to.

**~x~X~x~**

"Are you sure?" Kris helped Jean along as they ran across town.

"I heard he was out here, if he's not I don't know where Riley could be." Jean's eyes scanned the entire street.

Kris's lips pursed together as he thought. Jean wanted to run out and stop Jace and Crissy when they saw them beating Athene up. They both wanted to go, but Kris had stopped her. He knew they wouldn't be able to do anything and saying anything would just cause them promblems that they didn't need. The best thing they could do is find the guy that was the key player in all this so this Riley could tell everyone who had told him to do it.

Kris stumbled for a second but picked up the pace. "We have to hurry."

"I think he lives over there," she told him and pointed at a little blue house on the corner of a street.

Kris wasted no time and pounded on the door. "Riley!" he called. "Riley open up."

"Who is it?" A voice from inside wavered.

"My name's Kris, and this is Jean, we need to talk to you."

"Not if you're from the casino!"

"No!" Jean called back. "We just need to ask you something."

The door opened just a crack and a brown eye peered out from indoors. "What?"

Jean looked at Kris and braced herself. "We need to know who it was that sent you to stab Crissy."

"He told me he would kill me if I told anyone." Riley went to shut the door but Kris caught it with his foot.

Jean nodded and started to push on the door. "So you were sent to stab Crissy, specifically Crissy?"

Riley nodded.

"Did Aerik jack threaten you with a gun or a freak?" Jean watched the boy for any sudden flinches.

"Who?" Riley was confused.

"What about Dwight Baer?"

Riley flinched and looked at the floor. "Maybe, I dunno."

"This would be a lot easier if you just told us, Riley,  
>Kris added. "If you help us, we can have the guy that made you do it taken care of."<p>

Riley looked up. "Really?"

Jean looked at Kris and he nodded. "Crissy herself or the Jacks probably will," he said.

"We have to hurry though, so you can explain on the way there," Jean told him.

"Where are we going?" Riley asked as Kris pulled him out of the house.

Kris ran and drug Riley along with him. "To tell the truth and stop a lot of people from getting hurt."

**~x~X~x~**

Athene was shaking when they dropped her to her knees in front of her own house. The scales had retreated back just far enough that they didn't cover her face more. Everything else was numb. She couldn't feel anything; the scales were too thick and too abundant. That should have been nice considering they protected her when they pulled her knees across the ground and hit her. It didn't take the pain away when they called her a freak though.

In fact, the scales just made that part worse.

She was afraid of what Jace and Crissy were going to do with her, but that was nothing compared the fear she had when the guys compared her to Orc. This could be the time that they didn't go away. She would have to run away to the woods so she wasn't treated like Orc. She cried as they drug her along the asphalt and her scales protected her. She wanted to feel their kicks spreading bruises across her when they kicked her. Anything would be better than the gruesome scales that were just darker than her skin color.

"Aerik! Dwight!" Jace yelled up at the house. "You better look out here and see who we've got."

Athene hung her head. She didn't want them to see her like this; afraid and beaten and red eyes from crying. Her brother didn't want to talk to her, he wouldn't help. Dwight would even recognize her covered as she was. Nikki wouldn't even bother glancing at her now.

"You better come out here or I'll shoot her right in the face and see how far those scales go!"

"No!" Athene screamed. Not the thought of being shot, she was pretty sure that her scales would protect her, but the idea of being so completely covered that she couldn't even see and never getting out of it that scared her worse than death.

The front door opened. "What do you want, Ace?" Aerik demanded.

"It's what you want that I would be concerned about." Jace was cool and comfortable in all of this.

"Athene!" Dwight called as he came out of the garage starting to run.

"Stop!" Crissy yelled. A shot rang out and a splash of dirt scattered across Dwight as one of the kids shot at his feet. "No one moves until I say so or I shoot her."

"Get on the ground, on your knees, hands behind your head, Dwight. You too Aerik." Jace smirked.

Dwight started to raise his hands. Aerik didn't move.

"Dwight, don't!"Athene called out. "Go back inside, they just want to capture us. Aerik's the only they're gonna let live."

"Shut up!" Jace yelled and his foot slammed into the back of Athene's head making her hit the pavement.

When Athene fell, Dwight obeyed and ran back into the house with Aerik. Soon two gun barrels were sticking out of two windows.

"Let her go!" Dwight yelled.

"Or I'll start picking you all off, starting with you Ace," Aerik said.

"Try it," replied Jace and he hoisted Athene back up to her knees and pointed the pistol at her. "I'll still blast her."

"Don't do it man, I'll make you regret it." Dwight's voice was sharp and in the eerie silence stretching out between them, everyone could hear a gun cock.

Athene's hands shook, she knew they did. She couldn't let them face this though. She couldn't make Dwight shoot his old friend, or her brother be facing this down.

She started twisting her hands. She was covered in scales, and if she was going to be covered in them forever she might as well use them. She twisted her wrists as much as she could without being noticed. Hopefully the tie would break loose.

"Storm it? A boy asked Jace.

"I'm in charge here," snapped Crissy. "Stay where you are." The girl put her fingers in her mouth and let out a high pitched whistle.

A few moments later, Athene watched as her brother retreated into the house. Was he going to give up?

She twisted more and she could feel the leather loosening around her wrists. She was close.

"Aerik?" Dwight called from inside the house. "What the-"

"Dwight? Aerik?" Athene called. She forgot about one other person living in her house. "What did she do?! Nikki!"

The front door opened all the way. Dwight came out first his hands on the back of his head. Aerik had a hold of his elbow, and Nikki followed with the gun Dwight used earlier.

"There's Dwight. Take him so we can be done." Nikki stood defensively next to Aerik.

"What's going on?"

Crissy shot a glare at Nikki before turning to look at Aerik. "Your sister and Dwight here tried to have me killed. I warned Nikki that I was coming after Dwight, we caught Athene because I knew she would get in the way."

"So let my sister go now," Demanded the tall boy. "She didn't do anything."

Crissy shook her head. "Nikki used the leverage she had to stop suspicion from getting to you. Your sister will be fine, don't worry."

"Take Dwight, I don't care, but you leave her here." Aerik's fists were curling.

Athene worked furiously, every word they said made her angrier. "Dwight didn't try to kill anybody," she yelled.

"You let her go right now." Aerik jabbed a finger into Crissy's shoulder. "Or I swear you'll all pay."

"You don't touch her," snarled Marshall, he flipped his shotgun around so he could use the butt as a club. "Back off."

Aerik locked in on him. "Let her go."

"Back down!"

"Make me!"

Marshal swung and the butt of the shotgun slammed into his mouth knocking him to the ground.

"Aerik," shrieked Nikki as she fell to ground, forgetting Dwight and her gun. "You said you wouldn't hurt him!"

"Get him!" Jace snapped and jerking his head at Dwight.

Dwight dove for the dropped gun and came up pointing it at his would be attackers.

The leather belt holding Athene snapped. She jumped and tackled Jace's legs, dragging him to the ground. Athene roared as she brought both fists down together into the side of Jace's face, where right where she had hit him last time. His head rolled to the side and the skin across his cheek tore open.

The guys that came with them turned to get Athene and ignored Dwight for just a moment, he slammed his gun into the back of two guys, knocking them down before the others attacked him.

Marshall stood his ground protecting Crissy.

The guys fighting Dwight didn't even try to stop Athene, with all her scales she was like a tank as she leveled them all out, including the ones who got back up. One tried to shoot at them, but Athene took it right in the shoulder.

"Hey stop!" a girl cried. "Stop! _Please Stop_!"

"Listen, this is Riley!" Kris called out to everyone.

"Hold it everyone!" Crissy yelled and walked over to the boy.

Riley was gasping for breath, like he had run a marathon, Jean and Kris looked the same. "He...he... made me. Said he would…kill me if I didn't. I didn't want to stab you, Crissy."

"Who, Riley? Who wanted you to stab me," Crissy asked looking the boy.

Riley took a deep breath. "Him, Ace," the boy breathed and pointed at the blond who was just starting to rise.

"Marshall, grab him." Crissy's eyes went cold.

"Hmm…what?" Jace mumbled as he was pulled to his feet, his hands swiftly being tied behind his back. "You?!" he snarled at Riley.

"Take him to the casino where we'll teach him a lesson." Crissy waved her hand. "Sorry about the misunderstanding. Nikki I will see you around the market. Nice job Jean, Kris." She walked off at a quick pace to catch up with her guards.

"Did she seriously just say sorry and leave?" Jean asked.

Aerik moaned in pain from the ground.

"That's Crissy, the only thing that matters is her," Nikki answered.

Athene moved to stand between Dwight and her brother, checking on both before glancing at Kris. "Demi's alive. I was coming to tell you."

"That's great!" Kris grinned. "Will'll be better if he hears that, we've got to go tell him."

"Wait," Athene stopped him as she sat down rubbing the scales on her arms. "Tell will he's still not all the way better, but he's getting there. I'm taking him with me out of town, it will be better than living around here. When he's better I'll send a message into town for him and either he can come stay with us too, or take Demi. We'll be leaving later today, be sure he gets here if he wants to see Demi before we go."

"That would be best I think," Jean admitted. "Let's go Kris, we've got to tell Will."

Kris grabbed Jean's hand and they walked off in a quick pace. Riley following closely.

Athene looked at Nikki. The other girl didn't even look at her. "I told you Aerik, she was still hanging around Crissy."

"That doesn't really matter though does it?" Her brother shot back.

"Athene?" Dwight looked down at her carefully. "You alright?"

Athene gave a faint smile about how Dwight didn't even question the scales. "Yeah." Her scales started to slip off of her head, retracting down her neck; she could feel the ones on her legs shrinking too. She gave a sigh of relief.

"Well, Dwight, I think it's time we get out of here." Athene let him help her to her feet and dropped his hand as soon as she was upright. "I'm sorry, Aerik. I'm not staying around here, I just got tied up, beaten, and basically kidnapped and held for ransom. I refuse to stay here any longer."

Aerik nodded, suddenly quiet as he looked at his feet. Then his brown eyes met his sister's and he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry too. Just be safe out there?"

"Always," Athene mumbled into his ear. "You be safe here."

He chuckled. "I'll try." He pulled away and offered a hand to Dwight. "I didn't mean for any of that Dwight. Sorry, man."

Dwight nodded his head and accepted the handshake. "Just don't make a habit of it, unless it's for her, alright?"

The guys chuckled as they started to walk into the house.

"Nikki," Athene began.

Nikki flinched. "Stay away from me, freak." The girl was trembling.

Athene jerked away, nervously rubbing at the scales that were slowly retreating away from her head and back to where they came from. "Still? After all this, I was shot twice, beaten up by your friends, and you still call me a freak? Just don't screw up my brother while I'm not around to fix him." Athene shook her head and left the girl standing outside.


	9. Chapter 9

So this has been sitting on my computer for well years now and I can finally say it has been fully completed now. Took me long enough...

I don't own anything

**Chapter 9 –Epilogue**

Jace leveled his on Crissy. Pure hatred rang through them. It was exactly twenty three days since he had been put in this position. It had been simple, he thought. He forced Riley to try and stab Crissy and get the others blamed for it. The one thing he hadn't counted on was Jean and Kris interfering. They did and once he got out of here, they were going to pay.

"Jace," called Crissy and she snapped her fingers.

He sighed and moved from his place where he sat on the floor, where he would be ready to serve. "Yes ma'am?"

"I'm thirsty."

Jace turned and hobbled towards the kitchens. The casino was booming. Fresh food and cantaloupe liquor was always on the menu. Girls bustled about. Bouncers guarded the doors. Jace started to pour a glass of the liquor as he rubbed his wrists. They had taken off the plastic zip ties they used as handcuffs on him just two days before. They had extended them slowly over time. They still had the chain and locks on his ankles though so he clattered everywhere he went.

Crissy had made him her personal slave, she thought about getting a few more but saved the position as personal slave just for him.

He went back out into the main, Marshall nodded towards the office. Jace followed his directions.

Crissy was sitting at her desk legs crossed as she took the drink. "I bet you wish you could be out there playing with the girls huh?" she demanded and stood up. "You should've known not to cross me." She kissed the corner of his mouth. "You shouldn't have screwed around on me."

Jace glared.

"I'm done with you for tonight."

Jace's shoulders slumped and he rubbed at the thick scars stretching across his face where Athene hit him. He couldn't believe she was still going to do this. Every night, when she was done with him she would take him to the closet in her office. In there, Marshall had placed a hook into the wall. They used a thin chain that they wrapped around each wrist and and locked them tight with a small bike locks. The chain was long enough that it wrapped through hook in the wall and locked there.

Then they shut him in the dark and left him until morning. He had nothing to do but wait, and plot. The time would come when they would let their guard down, just long enough, and he would be gone and he would get his revenge.

Aerik. Athene. Nikki. Will. Kris. Jean. Dwight. Marshall. And Crissy.

He promised his himself every night he would get his revenge. That was his personal bed time story.

Aerik. Athene. Nikki. Will. Kris. Jean. Dwight. Marshall. And Crissy.

He wouldn't be a slave. He would turn his luck around yet.

Aerik. Athene. Nikki. Will. Kris. Jean. Dwight. Marshall. And Crissy.

He just couldn't give up.

**~x~X~x~**

Will sat on the floor of another random house. He lost all track of time as he ran around, looking for his next relief. The accusing green eyes glared at him in his sleep. Blaming him for the little boy's death. Demanding him suffer. Demanding he suffer.

He felt like he was being watched, that's why he ran so often. The eerie feeling of someone…something watching him, reaching out to get him, was tearing at his mind.

Will couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want to see anybody he knew.

He was hiding from Kris and Jean and everybody else. He just wanted to be ignored. To be left alone so he could suffer or die in peace. Whichever the world gave him.

He tried starving to death but he couldn't take it, he stole food and ate it.

Then chastised himself, he was supposed to be suffering for letting the little boy die.

Then he thought of another way he could die.

Back and forth, constantly. He was standing on the edge of a blade, suffer or die. Those were the options he gave himself. He just couldn't decide which he should take.

He found the knife in the kitchen drawer, he took a big breath out of his wood stain can and brought the knife up to his arm.

Just one swift motion and it could be done. A second of pain, just a moment and he would be done. No more suffering. No stopping it. Just a black oblivion.

The metal wasn't cold like he was expecting, it was warm as he started to press it into his flesh. He just couldn't go on.

**~x~X~x~**

Kris grabbed a hold of Jean as the trudged back to their house. She leaned against him.

"I don't know where he could be," admitted the boy, his greasy hair falling in front of his sad face.

Jean held him tightly to her. "We've been looking everyday as soon as we come in from the fields. We're doing what we can. Then we can tell him about Demi."

Kris sighed. "Yeah, I know, but I wish I could just do more."

Jean smiled at him. "Me too."

"I was thinking…" Kris started. "What if we moved closer up by Aerik's place? We could help him with his wood business I haven't seen him working it much lately, I'm sure he needs some help. It would pay good. We would be farther away from trouble."

Jean shook her head. "Crissy and Nikki are tight, always have been. Now with Athene out of the picture, they'll be tighter and pull Aerik in too. Crissy thrives in trouble. She's one of those people that get in a jam and decides she wants toast. We're best if we just stay put. If anything, we should go to lake or up to Athene and Dwight's campsite."

"You think?" Kris rolled his neck before his clear eyes looked at her and he smiled. "Whereever you want to go. I'll follow."

She blushed. "Kris, don't."

"I mean it." He looked at his hands for moment. "You saved me. You fixed me and didn't give up on me. You're everything to me."

She couldn't think of anything to say to that. He had come so far in so little time and they had become more than she expected too. Jean grabbed his head and pulled him close as his arms wrapped around her. She kissed him, full on the mouth.

They had no intentions to stop anytime soon.

** ~x~X~x~**

Aerik wiped his brow as he collapsed on the ground behind his house. His sister had been gone nearly a month, and this was only the second trailer he brought in. Food was short for him and Nikki. His girlfriend had been working at her friend's casino more often. That left him alone to work the wood gathering. That was a dangerous job.

He still wasn't done today. He had to take this load down, part to the grill and a few things to the casino.

"Aerik?" Nikki's voice cut through the panting in the air. "Aerik, that's enough for today."

He shook his head, forcing himself to his feet. "Nothing in the cupboards. I gotta sell this so we can eat tonight." He leaned against the trailer and his brows snapped together when he saw the three guys next to Crissy. The tall red head nodded at the trailer and the other two guys bent over to take it.

"They'll see to that. Marshall, I'll talk to you later." Crissy waved to the red head and faced Aerik. "No more work like that. I've talked to Crissy. Marshall has a place for another bouncer. You know your way around a gun, you're tall and buff." She grinned at him. "You'll be paid, we can live the good life."

"I don't know, Nik," Aerik said looking at his feet. "I mean, what would I do?"

"Make sure people don't steal, or hurt people, get people that took money to give it back." She shrugged. "That's it really."

They each packed a bag. Aerik locked up his house as tight as he could, and they left for the casino. Aerik followed Nikki as she led the way. Marshall explained the rules and had Aerik standing watching in no time as Nikki disappeared down the hall with Crissy. Jace was nowhere to be seen.

Aerik wasn't so sure about everything. That was until Marshall gave him his cut for the night and the bouncers gathered around a kitchen table drinking the cantaloupe liquor some kid named Sean made.

They were laughing and joking. Hanging out like the old days. Aerik would have done anything for a taste of this as often as he could.

Another guy came in and whispered to Marshall. The red head stood. "Jack, with me."

Aerik set his glass down and followed his boss into the garage. Inside two kids held a third on knees. Aerik didn't know what was about to happen.

"This guy took money and never gave it back." Marshall explained as the kid begged to be let go. "He should have known better. So now we teach him a lesson he won't forget." Marshall's foot raised before it slammed into the back of the kid's leg. The poor kid yelled and jerked.

Marshall nodded at Aerik and then the kid. "Get going, Jack. I'll let you know when to stop."

Aerik nodded and braced himself. He didn't like this, but he liked the life he had back in that kitchen. He wanted to keep it. He smashed his fist into the kid's mouth, side, ribs, arms. Everything. He tried to not pay attention to what he was doing so it didn't bother him as much. He pummeled on the poor boy until Marshall pulled him back and nodded at the door.

Aerik went back to the kitchen. The laughing had never stopped. The drinks poured, and girls were added to the mix. Aerik sat in his chair and grinned.

"There you are. I couldn't find you." Nikki came up behind him and wrapped one arm around his neck. She put a glass of liquor in his hand. "Isn't this so much nicer than being locked away up there all alone?" She was careful not to mention his sister. She gave him a bite of the fruit slice she had in her other hand before she gave him a swift kiss on the lips.

He could live like this and be happy. He just couldn't let his conscience get to him.

**~x~X~x~**

"_I have nothing to give, but my heart so full and…and these empty hands. Not empty now. _She told him. And they lived happily ever after, until we start the next book. Now go to sleep, Demi." Athene patted the boy's neatly trimmed sandy hair as she pulled the blanket up around him in the tent trailer bed he slept in. "Good night."

"Athene?" Demi stopped her, his green eyes bright and healthy, so much better than they had been when they first arrived in their little campsite on Trotter's Ridge.

"Yes?" She paused by the door, book still in hand. "Do you think, Dwight is related to Professor Bhaer?"

She smiled and let out a small chuckle. "I don't know but I will ask him."

"Good night Athene." The boy turned over and curled up to go to sleep.

Athene shut the trailer door and looked around at the little camp site they had built together. It was right next to the little pond that the spring made. Demi played in the water sometimes and chased frogs that they would catch and she would cook. Dwight had learned to lay traps and made the rounds every day, bringing back squirrels or rabbits, anything really. They ate most of what they caught early on, but the rest of the meat they smoked in the smoker they had built. Athene would take the boys out and show them different edible plants like wild onions, or berries.

Solar panels worked hooked up to the top of the trailer, they charged an IPod and a few other little electronics mostly for entertainment. A fence wrapped around them at a wide distance with a large gate on one side that was locked. Right up against the fence was a little tent looking set up, inside was a camping porta-potty that Dwight took out of their compound and downhill about two hundred feet and dumped every day into a ditch. A little camp kitchen was set up next to a folding picnic table. Boxes and crates of lots of different tools and supplies were stacked neatly around their camp.

A small two person dome tent was set up next to the tent trailer and by the rain barrel and clothesline. Dwight slept in the tent on a twin mattress he retrieved so that Demi and Athene could each have their own bed in the trailer.

Athene let out a breath as she relaxed on the ground next to Dwight and across from their lawn chairs by the dying embers of the campfire they made to cook dinner earlier.

"He asleep?" Dwight asked, his dark eyes stared into the pale orange and black image in the rock ring. His hair was no longer falling into his face but cut close to his head.

Athene listened carefully for the easy breathing of the boy inside. "Yeah."

"Good."

Athene set the book she was reading, _Little Women,_ to Demi down between them. "He wants to know if you're related to Professor Bhaer."

Dwight chuckled. "Sadly, I don't think I am I'm a B-A-E-R, no 'H'."

"I always like Fritz, such a shame," Athene teased.

Dwight, turned to look at her. "I'm happy here, Athene. I'm really happy I came with you."

She met his gaze, and she wasn't sure if it was the way he looked at her or the heat off the embers that made her cheeks heat up. "I'm glad you came, too."

They both glanced away from each other quickly; both afraid of what might and might not happen. The embers flickered in the fire pit and silence echoed through their campsite. It wasn't a bad silence. It was solitude among each other. It was so much better than the hustle and bustle of the casino, or the constant battles with Nikki and Aerik. They were safe with each other and didn't have to be afraid of getting beat up, or of someone being afraid of them. It was nice, and calm, and comforting.

The embers flickered again as one fell in and a spark floated up into the air before it died out midair.

Dwight's hand twitched, just enough to bump Athene's on the ground and they both froze. Carefully, like they were afraid the other would turn and run, they moved their hands together until their fingers were interlocked.

Neither of them said a word or looked at the other. Athene smiled and looked into the everlasting red embers, Dwight grinned as he glanced up at the reassuring blue night sky.

As the darkness came, they held onto the other, and for the first time, they didn't let go.

They held onto one another, and so long as they didn't let go and allow the fear to get them, they could make it with the anarchy and without the normality.

**Hopefully you enjoyed this story, I'm pretty sure this is going to be the end of my Normality stuff because I don't see me going back to write anymore.**


End file.
